The  Mountain  State, 


A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NATURAL  RESOURCES 


OP 


WEST  VIRGINIA, 


Prepared  for  Distribution  at  the 

WORLD'S  COLUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 


BY 


GEO,  W,  SUMMERS,  B,  Ph, 

EDITOR  OP  THE  CHARLESTON  DAILY  GAZETTE. 


UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  THE 
BOARD  OF  WORLD'S  FAIR  MANAGERS  FOR  WEST  VIRGINIA. 


THE  i  mm  OF  THE 

CHARLESTON,  W.  VA.  f /\  M    i  O 

Moses  VV.  Donnally,  Piunter.       JMIV   1  O  t 
1893. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


BOARD  OF  WORLD'S  FAIR  MANAGERS  FOR  WEST  VIRGINIA, 


Hon.  W.N.  Chancellor,  President  Parkersburg. 

Hon.  George  M.  Bovvfrs,  Treasurer  Marti nsburg. 

tloN.  RoBT.  S.  Carr  Charleston. 

Hon.  John  S.  Naylor  Wheeling. 

Hon.  Sidney  Haymond  Quiet  Dell. 

M.  C.  McKay,  Secretary    Rav  enswood 


INTRODUCTORY. 


By  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  of  West  Virginia,  ai)pioved  irlarch 
sixteenth,  1891,  the  Board  of  World's  Fair  Managers  for  West 
Virginia  was  created,  and  the  Governor  directed  to  appoint  the 
members  of  the  Board.  On  the  seventh  day  of  May,  1891  the 
gentlemen  named  on  the  preceding  page  were  appointed.'  At 
their  first  meeting,  held  in  Charleston,  an  organization  was  effected 
by  the  election  of  Hon.  W.  N.  Chancellor,  President;  Hon.  Geo 
M.  Bowers,  Treasurer,  and  M.  C.  McKay,  Secretary. 

In  June,  1892,  contract  was  made  by  the  Board  with  Geo.  W 
Summers  to  prepare,  as  a  supplement  to  the  State's  exhibit  at  the 
Columbian  Exposition,  a  work  on  the  resources  of  West  Viro-inia 
and  several  months  were  spent  by  hirr.  in  visiting  the  vaHous' 
counties  of  the  State  in  search  of  the  information  desired  to  be  con- 
tained in  the  work.  Circumstances  beyond  the  control  of  either 
the  Board  or  Mr.  Summers  put  a  stop  to  the  work  and  it  Avas  not 
till  m  March,  1893,  after  the  publication  of  the  book  had  been  pro- 
vided lor  by  an  additional  appropriation  by  the  Legislature,  that  a 
new  contract  was  made  and  steps  taken  to  complete  the  work. 

In  the  main  the  work  has  been  prepared  from  personal  visits  to 
every  county  in  the  State  and  from  interviews  with  the  leading  and 
best  informed  citizens  of  each  of  the  counties,  and  it  may  be  relied 
upon  as  -being  as  nearly  accurate  as  any  similar  work  extant. 
While  some  of  the  statements  made  concerning  the  resources  of  the 
^tate  may  seem  extravagant,  investigation  will  show  that  they  are 
in  the  main  correct.  Every  effort  has  been  made  not  to  over-esti- 
mate the  value  or  extent  of  any  resource,  but  to  present  for  the  in 


853574 


4 


Introductory. 


formation  and  guidance  of  those  who  wish  to  know  more  of  the 
magnificent  commonwealth  of  the  AUeghanies  than  they  do,  the 
facts  as  they  are  found,  without  any  attempt  at  exaggeration.  Be- 
lieving that  more  injury  could  be  done  to  the-State  by  making 
erroneous  claims  which  could  not  be  substantiated,  than  by  leav- 
ing unsaid  apart  of  the  truth,  the  aim  has  been  to  err  in  the  latter 
way  rather  than  in  the  former.  Mistakes  will  undoubtedly  be 
found,  but  the  intent  of  the  board  and  of  the  writer  to  present  to 
those  who  seek  it  such  information  as  will  give  them  valuable 
knowledge  of  the  State  has  never  been  lost  sight  of  and  the  work  is 
presented  to  the  public  with  the  hope  and  in  the  belief  that  it  may 
draw  to  West  Virginia  more  of  the  capital  required  to  make  her 
vast  resources  available,  the  labor  that  must  go  hand  in  hand  with 
capital,  the  settlers  who  are  to  people  our  hills  and  valleys,  the  pros- 
perity that  must  come,  soon  or  late,  to  a  State  so  endowed  by  kind- 
ly Nature  as  is  West  Virginia. 

To  those  who  have  rendered  their  assistance  in  the  preparation 
of  the  work,  the  writer  desires  hereby  to  tender  his  acknowledge- 
ments, knowing  that  without  their  generous  aid  he  could  not  have 
prepared  it. 


West  Virginia. 


WEST  VIRGINIA. 


West  Virginia  had  an  unfortunate  start  in  life  as  a  State.  Born 
in  the  midst  of  that  fearful  civil  strife  which  plunged  the  entire  na- 
tion into  a  debt  from  which  it  has  oever  yet  recovered,  which 
plucked  in  their  prime  so  many  thousands  of  the  fairest  flowers  of 
all  the  land  and  saw  them  wither  and  decay,  which  plunged  deep 
into  debt  and  desolation  the  whole  fair  southern  land,  wrecking  at 
once  great  fortunes  and  happy  homes,  bringing  death  and  destruc- 
tion and  poverty  over  all  the  southern  States  and  sadness  over  all, 
the  early  days  of  W^est  Virginia  were  not  conducive  to  the  rap>id  ad- 
vancement of  the  State.    In  the  old  State,  that  part  west  of  the 
mountains  had  always  been  looked  down  on  as  more  of  a  wilderness 
than  anything  else,  and  little  attention  was  ever  given  to  it.  The 
people  complained  for  years  that  they  were  permitted  by  the  State  to 
do  nothing  but  pay  their  taxes.    Their  representation  in  the  coun- 
cils of  the  State  was  small,  and  by  the  "Old  Dominion^'  that  portion 
of  her  domain  west  of  the  mountains  was  practically  ignored.  Ham- 
pered and  held  down  by  the  proud  and  powerful  "Mother  of  Pres- 
idents," at  the  beginning  of  the  civil  war  the  part  of  Old  Virginia 
which  was  afterwards  set  apart  to  form  the  new  State  gave  but  littie 
promise  of  the  glorious  destiny  that  was  in  store  for  her.    Her  wealth 
was  little  known.    The  immense  value  of  her  timber  forests,  the  al- 
most inexhaustible  deposits  of  her  coal,  the  flowing  wells  of  oil  and 
gas,  the  richness  of  her  iron  ores,  the  great  fertility  of  her  hills  and 
valleys  were  never  dreamed  of,  and,  aside  from  the  desire  to  have  the 
new  State  pay  the  old  State  debt,  Virginia  did  not  care  for  the  loss, 
by  separation,  ot  her  better  half. 

I 


6 


West  Virginia. 


At  first  the  new  State's  prospects  were  not  bright.  Along  the 
bor<ler  of  the  north  and  south,  the  sympathizers  of  both  sides  were 
numerous  in  the  new  State's  bounds,  and  both  sides  felt  most  keenly 
the  depressing  results  of  the  terrible  civil  war.  The  unhappy  polit- 
ical situation,  the  poverty  of  the  country,  particularly  of  the  people 
of  this  State,  many  cf  whom  had  lost  their  every  dollar,  the  un- 
settled condition  of  the  times  in  general,  prevented  at  the  first  the 
development  of  any  of  the  vast  resources  of  the  State.  After  the 
lapse  of  a  few  years,  when  the  situation  had  been  somewhat  relieved, 
when  the  constitution  had  been  altered  and  the  liberties  of  the 
people  much  increased,  when  capital  was  coming  in  and  the  State 
Avas  building  up,  then  came  the  j)anic  which  brought  again  disaster 
through  the  Union  and  set  the  State  of  West  Virginia  back  ten 
years. 

The  Centennial  Exposition  in  1876  brought  prominently  before 
the  w^orld  the  wonderful  resources  of  the  State  and  West  Virginia 
took  a  fresh  start.  With  its  fine  exhibit  of  the  coals  and  irons  and 
timber  here  to  be  found  the  State  attracted  capital  from  all  parts  of 
the  world.  The  development  of  the  State  dates  practically  from 
that  time.  Soon  after  the  State  had  shown  to  the  world  the  vast- 
ness  of  her  resources  and  had  drawn  the  attention  of  the  entire 
civilized  world  to  her  possessions,  new  mines  were  opened,  new 
saw  mills  built,  new  people  came  in  and  settled  among  us,  and  rail- 
road building  took  a  start  that  brought  the  State  up  gradually  to 
the  front,  till  last  year  no  other  State  in  all  the  Union  exceeded 
West  Virginia  in  the  amount  of  its  railroad  mileage  completed  with- 
in the  year. 

From  practical  oblivion,  known  only  as  the  muddy,  mountain- 
ous part  cut  off  from  old  Virginia,  our  State  has  grown  and  still  is 
growing  until  it  now  stands  near  the  top  among  the  list  of  States, 
and  takes  high  rank  among  them  all  in  the  production  of  all  those 
things  to  which  her  hills  and  vales  are  iitt(!d.  We  have  come  out 
of  the  woods  and  in  the  place  of  the  forests  arc  s})ringing  up  new 
towns.  The  Stn.te  is  not  yet  fully  explored,  the  real  extent  of  all 
her  vast  resources  is  hardly  known,  each  new  year  adding  some 
new  discovery  of  value  to  the  State ;  but  stop  by  step  the  forest 
fastnesses  are  being  ])enetrated,  the  homes  of  man  replace  the  haunts 
of  beasts  of  prey  and  every  part  of  the  State  is  being  brought  in 


West  Virginia. 


7 


touch  with  the  busy  life  of  the  outside  world.  In  18G3  a  single 
line  of  railroad  passed  through  a  few  of  the  northern  counties  of  the 
State.  To-day  there  are  but  11  out  of  the  54  that  have  no  railroad, 
and  from  the  present  prospects,  within  the  next  few  years  the  iron 
arteries  of  trade  will  pierce  the  confines  of  them  all  and  not  a 
county  in  the  State  will  be  without  its  railroad  and  the  industries 
that  always  accompany  and  follow  the  building  of  a  road.  In  1863 
a  few  small  coal  mines  produced  a  little  coal  principally  for  domes- 
tic consumption,  and  some  was  used  for  the  manufacture  of  "cannel 
coal  oil,"  but  the  coal  trade  so  far  as  the  shipment  of  coal  to  other 
markets  than  our  own  was  concerned  was  almost  unknown.  In 
1870  the  coal  production  was  but  608,878  tons.  Last  year  two 
hundred  mines  were  in  operation,  employing  over  15,000  men  and 
producing  nearly  nine  million  tons  of  coal  in  addition  to  the  small 
mines  for  local  consumption  which  still,  exist  in  the  State  as  they 
did  at  that  day.  The  timber  then  was  only  cut  to  get  it  out  of  the 
way  of  the  farmer  who  wished  to  improve  his  land,  and  was  burned 
or  deadened  and  allowed  to  decay  '  To-day  the  timbering  and 
lumbering  industries  of  the  State  employ  some  fifteen  thousand 
men,  saw  mills  are  in  operation  in  every  county  of  the  State  and 
the  lumber  produced  from  the  West  Virginia  forests  is  shipped  to 
every  country  in  the  world.  The  oil  production  of  the  State  is 
next  to  that  of  Pennsylvania  now,  while  thirty  years  ago  the  only 
oil  produced  was  that  which  was  extracted  from  the  cannel  coal.. 
To-day  the  Sisters ville  oil  field  is  the  largest  oil  field  in  the  world 
or  rather  the  oil  field  producing  the  largest  amount  of  oil.  In  1863 
no  coke  was  made  in  V^est  Virginia.  Last  year  there  were  1,314,- 
449  tons  of  coke  made  in  the  State.  In  every  way  the  State  is  rap- 
idly forging  forward  toward  the  front.  The  population  is  rapidly 
increasing,  the  increase  for  the  last  decade  being  about  19  per  cent. 
The  capital  invested  is  many  times  that  of  a  few  years  ago.  Devel- 
opment is  bringing  to  the  markets  of  the  world  the  hidden  riches 
Providence  has  bestowed  upon  the  Mountain  State.  Manufactur- 
ing is  growing  in  extent  and  variety  and  we  stand  upon  thethresh- 
hold  of  a  new  era  of  prosperity,  which  will  cause  the  State  to  grow 
in  people  and  in  wealth,  in  the  variety  of  its  products  and  in  all 
that  goes  to  make  a  State  great  and  prosperous. 

The  abundance  of  opportunity  and  the  absence  of  capital  for  the 


8 


West  Virginia. 


proper  development  of  the  State  invite  the  attention  of  all  who  are 
in  a  position  to  aid  in  bringing  West  Virginia  to  the  front  and  at 
the  same  time  to  reap  a  share  of  the  prosperity  that  is  surely  com- 
ing to  the  State.  The  possibilities  for  West  Virginia  are  not  ex- 
ceeded by  those  of  any  other  State  in  the  Union,  and  to  the  atten- 
tion of  those  who  will  aid  in  its  development  these  possibilities  are 
in  this  volume  called. 


(JOAL. 


9 


COAL. 


It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  convey  to  the  mind  of  one  not  familiar 
with  the  facts  any  adequate  idea  of  the  immensity  and  value  of  the 
West  Virginia  coal  fields.  To  say  that  sixteen  thousand  out  of  the 
twenty -four  thousand  square  miles  of  the  territory  in  the  State  is 
underlaid  with  coal,  gives  but  a  vague  idea  of  what  there  really  is. 
To  say  that  over  ten  million  acres  of  West  Virginia  is  coal  land,  on 
which  there  is  an  average  thickness  of  ten  feet  of  coal,  means  but 
little  more.  When  we  say  that  there  is  a  sufficient  quantity  of  coal 
hidden  away  in  the  hills  and  beneath  the'  surface  of  the  State  to 
supply  the  wants  ©f  the  entire  world  for  centuries  to  come,  then 
does  the  mind  begin  to  realize  the  real  extent  of  the  coal  deposits  of 
the  State.  Going  further  and  estimating  the  amount  of  the  coal  in 
the  State  at  the  usual  average  rate  of  production,  the  ten  million 
acres  would  yield  one  hundred  billion  tons.  The  coal  production 
in  this  State  for  1892,  the  greatest  for  any  year  in  the  history  of  the 
State,  was  something  over  eight  million  tons.  Increasing  this  to  an 
average  rate  of  ten  million  tons  a  year,  the  coal  of  West  Virginia, 
constantly  mined,  would  last  ten  thousand  years.  The  entire  amount 
of  bituminous  coal  consumed  in  the  United  States  during  the  year 
1889,  according  to  the  last  census,  was  a  little  over  ninety-five  million 
tons.  Increasing  this  to  one  hundred  million  tons  a  year,  the  coal 
in  West  Virginia  alone  would  supply  the  entire  United  States  with 
all  its  coal  for  the  next  one  thousand  years.  If  all  the  coal  in  West 
Virginia  were,  by  some  miraculous  means,  mined  at  once  and  loaded 
into  railroad  cars  of  twenty  tons  capacity,  the  whole  would  make  a 
continuous  train  that  would  reach  one  thousand  five  hundred  times 


10 


Coal. 


around  the  earth.  Accordinsj  to  the  last  United  States  census,  the 
average  value  of  the  coal  of  the  United  States,  on  cars  at  the  mine, 
was  99  cents  a  ton.  At  this  rate  the  value  of  the  coal  of  West  Vir- 
ginia, still  unmined,  would  be  ninet)''-nine  thousand  million  dollars, 
enough  to  make  ninety-nine  thousand  millionaires  in  the  State  of 
West  Virginia.  When  the  facts  are  looked  at  in  this  light,  and  the 
value  of  the  hidden  de[)Osits  of  coal  within  the  State  are  made 
ai)})arent  in  such  a  way  that  they  can  be  appreciated,  there  seems 
little  room  to  doubt  the  statement  made  by  Professor  I.  C.  White, 
one  of  the  best  authorities  in  the  country  on  geological  matters,  that 
the  coal  alone  of  West  Virginia  is  worth  more  than  all  the  gold  and 
silver  of  the  Pacific  coast.  Of  the  fifty-four  counties  in  the  State, 
there  are  but  three — Jefferson,  Hardy  and  Monroe — in  which  no 
coal  has  yet  been  found.  Every  other  county  in  the  State  contains 
coal  of  some  kind  in  varying  quantities,  most  of  them  having  an 
abundance.  All  kinds  are  found— anthracite,  splint,  bituminous, 
cannel  and  all  the  intermediate  varieties — in  some  places  all  of  them 
except  the  anthracite  being  found  in  the  same  counties  and  fre- 
quently on  the  same  property.  The  veins  range  in  thickness  from 
a  few  inches  to  nearly  thirty  feet,  and  frequently  the  veins  are  found 
on  the  same  property  one  above  the  other  until  the  entire  thickness 
of  the  combined  veins  aggregates  very  many  feet-  In  one  mountain 
in  the  State  there  are  no  less  than  eleven  veins,  one  above  the  other, 
from  2  feet  7  inches  to  20  feet  in  thickness,  aggregating  68  feet  II 
inches  of  coal.  Aggregate  thicknesses  of  from  25  to  50  feet  of  coal 
over  the  same  property  are  not  infrequent. 
The  following  brief  description  of 

WEST  VIRGINIA  COAL  FIELDS 

is  taken  from  an  article  written  recently  by  Prof.  White  for  the 
Kanawha  Gazette: 

To  the  largest  and  most  valuable  coal  lield  in  the  world,  geolo- 
gists have  given  the  nam<^  Appalachian.  It  covers  an  area  of 
nearly  60,000  square  miles,  and  beginning  near  the  northern  line  of 
Pennsylvania  extends  soutliward  across  that  State,  and  taking  in 
nearly  the  whole  of  West  Virginia,  and  a  broad  strip  from  the 
southern  part  of  Ohio,  passes  on  through  eastern  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee  to  end  in  Alabama,  nearly  900  miles  from  its  northern 


Coal. 


11 


terminus.  The  shape  of  this  great*  field  is  roughly  that  of  a  eanoe, 
and  West  Virginia  lies  within  the  zone  of  its  broadest  and  richest 
portion. 

In  only  four  of  the  fifty-four  counties  in  West  Virginia  is  it  im- 
possible to  find  bituminous  coal,  viz:  Jefferson,  Berkeley,  Morgan, 
and  Monroe- 

The  column  of  rocks  which  holds  the  coal  beds  in  the  Appa- 
lachian field  has  been  subdivided  into  several  groups,  and  as  these 
come  to  the  surface  in  different  portions  of  the  State,  and  contain 
coals  of  distinctly  different  qualities,  I  shall  briefly  describe  each, 
and  trace  the  lines  of  their  outcrops  across  the  State. 

At  the  base  of  the  series,  and  therefore  the  lowest  group  of  the 
true  coal  measure  rocks,  we  have  what  is  usually  termed  the  con- 
glomerate measures;  because  the  great  sandstones  which  are  there 
interstratified  with  the  beds  of  coal  and  slate  often  contain  pebbles 
of  quartz  and  other  hard  rocks  in  great  abundance.  The  group 
has  also  received  several  other  names,  among  which  may  be  men- 
tioned No.  12  conglomerate,  Pottsville  conglomerate,  serai  conglom- 
erate and  the  millstone  grit  of  the  English  geologists.  The  group 
of  coal  beds  which  these  rocks  contain  have  been  termed  the  New 
River  coal  series,  from  that  region  of  our  own  State  where  the  beds, 
as  a  whole,  have  their  grandest  development. 

The  sandstones  of  this  series  are  noted  for  their  hardness  and  con- 
sequent power  to  resist  the  action  of  the  elements.  Being  com- 
posed almost  entirely  of  quartz  pebbles  and  sand  grains,  they  form 
great  sheets  of  protecting  rock  which  is  almost  indestructible  by 
atmospheric  influence,  and  thus  it  happens  that  this  group  of  beds 
is  the  principal  factor  in  forming  the  picturescj[ue  scenery  of  our 
Mountain  State.  The  wild  gorges  and  canyons  of  the  Cheat,  the 
Gauley,  the  New,  the  Guyandotte,  the  Big  Sandy  and  other  West 
Virginia  rivers  are  all  formed  by  this  series  of  rocks.  All  of  the 
ridges  and  peaks  of  the  •  AUeghanies  are  capped  and  protected  by 
this  friendly  mantle.  Wherever  these  rocks  come  to  the  surface, 
wildness,  barren  soils,  and  precipitous  slopes  prevail,  but  when  they 
dip  below  the  drainage  levels  the  mountains  disappear,  and  in  their 
stead  we  find  rounded  hills,  with  gentler  slupes  and  broader  valleys. 

Another  peculiarity  of  this  series  is  that  although  it  forms  a  con- 
tinous  sheet  of  beds  under  all  of  the  60,000  sqaare  miles  of  the  Ap- 


12 


Coal. 


palachian  coal  field,  yet  it  contains  coal  in  workable  thickness 
and  purity  only  around  the  borders  of  the  field  in  a  comparatively 
narrow  rim.  Thus  while  there  are  valuable  coal  beds  in  Jackson 
county,  Ohio,  along  the  northwestern  border  of  the  group,  and  also 
opposite  this  along  the  southeastern  border,  in  Fayette  county,  West 
Virginia,  no  workable  coal  would  be  found,  if  a  shaft  shoul  1  be  sunk 
to  the  series,  say  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Kanawha,  or  at  any 
other  point  20  to  30  miles  distant  from  the  respective  borders  of  the 
field.  The  same  hard  sandstones  and  pebble-beds  would  be  encoun- 
tered, but  they  would  hold  only  thin  streaks  of  coal  and  bituminous 
slates. 

Another  feature  of  these  conglomerate  coal  measures  is  the  great 
purity  of  the  coal  beds  when  they  attain  workable  dimensions. 
These  early  formed  coals  are  singularly  free  from  injurious  quanti- 
ties of  sulphur  and  ash,  the  bane  of  some  coals.  Their  purity  in 
this  re.-^pect  is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  just  previous  to  the 
spread  of  the  great  peal  swamps  of  this  early  epoch,  the  floor  of  the 
entire  Appalachian  coal  field  was  sheeted  with  a  deposit  of  clean 
sand  and  gravel,  thus  effectually  covering  up  the  muddy  sediments 
of  a  previous  epoch,  and  causing  the  streams  which  drained  into 
the  peat  or  coal  marshes  of  the  time  to  be  clear  and  free  from  rm- 
purities,  like  our  own  mountain  brooks  of  the  present;  but  however 
this  may  be,  the  fact  remains  that  these  conglomerate  coals  are  of 
exceptional  purity. 

Another  strange  thing  about  these  coals  is  that  along  the  north- 
western border  of  the  Appalachian  field,  the  quality  of  the  coal  is 
entirely  different  from  that  found  on  the  opposite,  or  southeastern 
rim  of  the  field.  Along  the  former,  through  Pennsylvania  and 
Ohio,  these  coals  are  nearly  always  non-coking  and  can  frequently  be 
used  in  furnaces  just  as  they  are  brought  from  the  mines,  and  are 
hence  often  called  "block"  coals;  but  on  the  southeastern  side, 
through  West  Virginia, .Virginia,  Kentucky,  &c.,  the  coals  oi  this 
series  are  universally  of  the  coking  kind,  and  being  so  pure  they 
are  fast  becoming  justly  celebr^ited  for  the  production  of  coke  of  the 
highest  grade. 

The  conglomerate  rocks  crop  out  on  the  surface  in  West  Virginia 
through  the  following  counties,  beginning  at  the  north:  Preston, 
Mineral,  Grant,  Tucker,  Randolph,  Webster,  Pocahontas,  Greenbrier, 


Coal. 


13 


Nicholas,  Fayette,  Raleigh,  Summers,  Mercer,  Wyoming,  McDowell 
and  Logan. 

Until  we  get  southward  as  far  as  Nicholas  aud  Webster,  there  ap- 
pears to  be  but  one  workable  bed  of  coal  in  these  conglomerate 
measures,  and  it  lies  near  the  bottom  of  the  ser  ies.  I  have  observed 
it  at  several  localities,  however,  in  Preston,  Tucker  and  Randolph, 
in  each  of  which  the  bed  is  about  three  feet  thick,  and  very  fair 
coking  coal  But  on  southward  through  Webster  and  Nicholas, 
into  Fayette,  the  whole  group  of  rocks  increases  in  thickness  very 
fast,  and  when  we  come  to  the  New  River,  m  Fayette  county,  these 
rocks  have  a  thickness  of  1,400  feet,  and  contain  three  workable 
coal  beds,  with  thicknesses  of  three  to  five  f^et.  It  is  from  these 
beds  that  the  famous  New  River  coke  is  manufactured,  which  now 
sells  in  the  market  at  a  higher  figure  than  the  Connellsville  product. 

But  although  Webster,  Nicholas,  Greenbrier,  Fayette  and  Sum- 
mers all  have  splendid  fields  of  these  purest  of  coals,  yet  it  is  not, 
however,  till  we  come  to  Raleigh,  Mercer,  Wyoming  and  McDowell 
counties,  at  the  extreme  southwestern  corner  of  the  State,  that  we 
find  the  thickest  and  most  productive  coal  beds  in  this  series  of 
rocks;  for  here  the  great  Pocahontas  bed  attains  a  thickness  of  six 
to  ten  feet  over  an  area  of  several  hundred  square  miles,  while  at 
many  localities  two  other  beds  may  be  found  above  the  Pocahontas 
vein,  with  a  thickness  of  four  to  six  feet. 

The  proximity  of  this  great  field  of  pure  coking  coals  to  the  i-n- 
mense  iron  ore  deposits  of  the  South,  renders  it  valuable  beyond 
computation,  and  yet  its  development  has  only  just  begun.  It  is 
only  about  six  y<  ars  since  the  first  car  load  of  coal  was  shipped 
from  the  Pocahontas  region,  near  the  line  of  Mercer  county,  and  yet 
during  the  past  year,  one  million  tons  of  coal  and  coke  have  gone  to 
market  from  this  region  alone. 

Lying  on  top  of  the  conglomerate,  or  New  River  coal  measures, 
we  find  another  group  of  rocks  with  valuable  coal  beds  included, 
and  to  this  series  has  been  given  the  name  of  Lower  coal  measures. 
To  this  group  belong  the  coal  beds  which  have  recently  attracted  so 
much  attention  and  capital  to  Clearfield,  Jefterson  and  Cambria 
counties,  Pennsylvania.  Within  the  limits  of  these  measures  there 
are  usually  five  coal  beds  which  at  one  time  or  another  furnish 
valuable  fuel,  viz :  in  descending  order :   Upper  Freeport,  Lower 


14 


Coal. 


Freeport,  Upper  Kittanning,  Middle  Kittanning,  Lower  Kittanning 
and  Clarion  Coal  beds. 

This  coal  series  enters  West  Virginia  from  Pennsylvania  in 
Monongalia  and  Preston  counties,  with  a  thickness  of  250  to  300 
feet,  and  contains  two  valuable  coal  beds,  the  Up]')er  Freeport  and 
the  Lower  Kittanning,  tlie  foi-mer  being  locally  known  as  the  "Austin 
coking"  coal,  and  the  latter  as  the  ''Newburg  shaft"  seam,  on  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad.  These  two  beds  are  separated  by  an  in- 
terval of  shales  and  sandstones  100  to  180  feet  thick,  and  they  are 
both  easily  accessible  over  a  very  large  area  in  Monongalia  and 
Preston.  They  have  an  average  thickness  of  five  to  six  feet  each, 
and  both  make  splendid  coke.  The  same  two  beds  reappear  on  the 
North  Potomac,  where  they  underlie  an  immense  area  along  the 
West  Virginia  Central  Railroad,  in  Mineral,  Tucker  and  Grant 
counties.  They  are  both  mined  near  Davis,  the  upper  one  being 
called  the  "Thom.as  seam,"  and  the  lower  one  the  "Davis  seam." 
Both  have  been  successfully  tested  for  coke  in  the  Davis  region. 

On  southward  from  the  counties  already  mentioned,  the  outcrop  of 
this  series  may  be  traced  through  Taylor,  Barbour,  Randolph 
(where  the  U  Freeport  is  the  celebrated  "22-foot  seam"),  Upshur, 
Braxton,  Webster,  Nicholas,  Clay,  Kanawha,  Fayette,  Raleigh,  Wy- 
oming, Boone,  Logan,  Lincoln,  Wayne  and  Cabell.  These  are  the 
counties  along  the  eastern  side  of  the  Appalachian  field,  where  the 
coals  of  this  series  come  up  to  the  surface,  while  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  fields  the  only  locality  where  they  come  up  to  daylight 
is  in  Hancock  county,  and  for  a  short  distance  along  the  Volcano  up- 
lift in  Wood  and  Wirt.  The  series,  hovever,  underlies  all  the  other 
counties  of  the  State,  which  lie  west  from  the  belt  first  mentioned, 
and  unlike  the  conglomerate  series  below,  seems  to  have  valuable 
c();i,l  beds  in  it  at  every  locality.  This  we  learn  from  the  records  of 
drill  holes  which  have  been  made  in  nearly  every  part  of  the  State. 

One  of  these  l)eds  is  now  mined  at  Wellsburg  by  a  shaft  200  feet 
deep,  and  the  drill  shows  that  the  same  valuable  bed  underlies 
Wheeling  at  a  depth  of  only  500  feet,  while  at  Parkersburg  a  good 
l)ed  of  coal  seven  feet  thick  and  belonging  to  this  same  series  was 
parsed  at  a  depth  of  1,100  feet,  and  the  same  bed  has  been  drilled 
through  at  Mannington,  1,300  feet  below  the  valleys.  These  depths 
may  be  regarded  by  some  as  rendering  the  coal  beds  in  question  en- 


Coal. 


15 


tirely  valueless,  but  such  should  remember  that  the  development  of 
'this  country  has  only  just  begun,  and  that  England  raises  nearly  all 
her  immense  output  of  coal  from  depths  of  1,000  to  3,000  feet. 
These  facts  are  mentioned  simply  to  show  the  vastness  of  our  resour- 
ces in  coal,  and  the  permanency  of  supply  of  this  "main-spring  of 
civilization,"  and  hence  that  the  railroads,  cities  and  manufactories 
which  may  be  built  within  our  borders,  can  depend  on  an  abund- 
ant supply  of  fuel  for  many  centuries,  even  from  the  beds  of  coal 
which  can  be  operated  from  the  surface;  but  when  these  shall  have 
been  exhausted,  we  shall  still  have  an  infinite  wealth  of  these  "black 
diamonds,"  which  can  be  easily  obtained  by  going  down  a  few  hun- 
dred feet  below  the  surface.  When  that  time  comes  West  Virginia 
will  possess  a  monopoly  of  coal  in  the  Appalachian  field,  for  it  will 
be  practically  exhausted  from  all  the  States  around  us  before  that 
from  our  easily  accessible  beds  is  used  up. 

In  passing  from  the  northern  part  of  the  State  south-westward  to  the 
region  of  the  Great  Kanawha,  the  lower  coal  measures  expand  won- 
derfully in  thickness,  and  instead  of  a  rock  series  of  250  or  300  feet 
as  in  Preston  and  Monongalia,  we  get  1,000  feet  of  rock  between  the 
uppermost  coal  bed  of  the  group  and  the  top  of  the  conglomerate 
series  below.  Accompanying  this  expansion  of  the  measures  there 
is  a  great  change  in  the  character  of  the  coal  in  the  different  beds. 
Instead  of  soft  coking  coal,  we  find  cannel  (in  Wayne,  Lincoln  and 
Boone,  the  Upper  Freeport  coal  forms  one  of  the  largest  areas  of  pure 
cannel  known  in  any  country  of  the  world)  and  "l)lock"  and  "splint," 
which  being  quite  hard,  and  crumbling  with  difiiculty,  make  splen- 
did shipping  coals,  and  the  perfection  of  domestic  fuel.  The  lowest 
bed,  however,  the  Clarion  or  Eagle  seam,  makes  a  splendid  coke,  and 
the  Lower  Kittanning  or  Campbell's  Creek  seam,  can  also  be  coked 
successfully  in  some  regions.  Hence  the  territory  along  the  Elk 
and  its  tributaries,  the  Great  Kanawha  and  its  tributaries,  as  well  as 
the  Guyandotte,  Twelve  Pole  and  the  Big  Sandy,  abounds  in  splen- 
did coal  beds  of  this  Lower  coal  measure  series. 

To  the  next  higher  group  of  rocks  geologists  have  given  the  name 
of  Barren  measures,  because  the  coal  beds  they  contain  are  usually 
thin,  irregular  in  thickness  and  poor  in  quality.  Along  with  much 
sand  stone,  thin  limestone  and  other  rocks,  this  group  of  beds  con- 
tains a  great  deal  of  soft  red  shale,  and  hence  it  makes  a  broad  belt 


16 


Coal. 


of  red  soil  almost  exactly  in  the  central  line  of  the  State,  from  Mon- 
ongalia clear  through  to  Wayne.  The  thickness  of  the  series  varies 
usually  between  500  and  600  feet,  except  toward  the  southwestern 
portion  of  the  State,  where  it  expands  in  thickness  like  all  the  other 
groups,  and  measures  800  feet  near  Charleston. 

Although  usually  meriting  the  name  "Barren  Measures,"  yet  oc- 
casionally some  good  coal  is  found  in  this  group  over  restricted 
areas.    The  Masontown  coal  or  "four  foot"  bed  of  Preston  county, 
is  one  of  those  exceptions,  and  the  Brush  Creek  bed  which  caps  the 
hills  at  Coalburg  on  the  Kanawha,  and  furnishes  some  fine  "block" 
coal  in  several  counties  of  the  southwestern  part  of  the  State,  is 
another.    These  two  beds  belong  in  the  lower  half  of  the  group,  and 
thtt  last  named  is  the  lower  one.    The  "Barren  Measures"  are  lim- 
ited above  by  a  great  bed  of  coal,  the  most  important  one  in  the 
Appalachian  field,  the  famous  Pittsburg  bed.    This  bed  marks  the 
beginning  of  another,  and  the  last  of  the  groups  of  the  true  coal 
measure  rocks,  which  is  termed  the  "Upper  Coal  Measures."  This 
series,  unlike  those  below  it,  attains  its  maximum  thickness  and 
importance  at  the  northern  end  of  the  State,  instead  of  the  southern. 
In  Monongalia  county  it  has  a  thickness  of  380  feet,  and  contains 
four  valuable  coal  beds,  disposed  as  follows:  At  base,  the  great  Pitts- 
burg bed,  with  a  workable  thickness  of  seven  to  nine  feet;  forty  feet 
above  this  comes  the  Redstone  bed,  with  a  thickness  of  four  to  five 
feet;  sixty  feet  above  the  latter  lies  the  Sewickly  bed,  having  a 
thickness  of  five  to  six  feet,  while  260  feet  above  the  last,  and  capping 
the  series,  we  get  the  Waynesburg  bed,  with  a  workable  thickness 
of  six  to  seven  feet.    Thus  it  happens  that  in  many  of  the  hills  of 
Monongalia  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet  of  merchantable  coal  may  be 
mined  without  shafting. 

In  coming  southward  from  Monongalia  the  Pittsburg,  Sewickly 
and  Waynesburg  coals  hold  their  usual  thickness  through  Marion 
county,  but  the  Redstone  beds  thin  out  before  reaching  there,  and 
on  beyond  Marion  the  Sewickly  and  Waynesburg  beds  dwindle 
down  to  thin  and  unimportant  layers,  leaving  the  Pittsburg  as  the 
only  valuable  coal  in  the  group,  but  the  latter  maintains  such 
a  standard  of  thickness  and  value  as  to  amply  compensate  for  the 
loss  of  the  higher  members  possessed  in  more  favored  Monongalia 
and  Marion.    As  we  pass  westward  from  the  Monongahela  river,  in 


Coal. 


17 


the  last  mentioned  counties,  these  U|)pcr  coal  measure  heds  dip  be- 
neatli  the  surface  down  into  the  jjjrcat  trough  of  the  Appalachian 
basin  and  do  not  come  up  to  daylight  again  till  we  reach  the  Ohio 
river  valley  near  Wheeling,  and  here  we  find  that  only  the  Pitts- 
burg remains  important,  the  others  being  represented  by  thin,  and 
vslaty  beds,  hence  it  will  observed  that  so  far  as  our  State  is  con- 
cerned the  Upper  coal  measures  derive  their  chief  injportance  from 
the  presence  of  one  bed,  the  Pittsburg,  but  it  is  so  valuable  as  to 
merit  a  more  detailed  description  than  could  be  given  to  the  other 
individual  seams  within  the  limited  space  of  this  article. 

This  Pittsburgh  bed,  as  we  have  already  stated,  is  the  most  im- 
portant seam  in  the  entire  Ap})alachian  field.  It  is  the  same  bed 
which 'furnishes  ti.e  coal  for  the  manufacture  of  the  famous  Con- 
nellsville  coke,  and  hence  is  often  called  the  Connellsville  and 
Youghiogheny  bed.  Coming  as  it  does  so  high  up  in  the  series  of 
rocks,  it  has  suffered  more  from  erosion  than  any  other  of  the  coal 
beds  below  it,  having  been  worn  away  from  many  thousands  of 
square  miles,  where  it  once  existed.  This  we  realize  when  crossing 
the  AUeghanies  to  Piedmont,  and  find  the  same  Pittsburgh  bed 
lepresented  in  the  "Big  Bed"  of  that  region  and  the  George's  creek 
basin,  where  it  is  fifteen  to  twenty  ft^et  thick.  We  also  discover  the 
same  coal  bed  on  the  heights  at  Elk  Garden,  on  the  West  Virginia 
Central  Railroad,  and  in  the  isolated  patch  at  Fairfax  Summit, 
more  than  3, SOU  feet  above  the  sea.  The  remnant  of  this  bed  in 
Copeman's  Knob,  near  Kingw^ood,  the  scattered  patches  on  the  hill 
top  around  Newburg,  and  the  few  acres  of  it  on  the  highest  sum- 
mits near  Belington,  taken  in  connection  with  the  Fairfax  and 
Elk  Garden  areas  will  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  the  vast  inter- 
mediate surface  from  which  it  lias  already  l)een  mined  by  the  cease- 
less action  of  the  elements.  i>ut  fortunately  for  our  State,  the 
deepest  portion  of  the  Appalachian  trough  passes  across  its  territory 
from  the  Pennsylvania  line  clear  tlirough  to  the  Kentucky  border 
in  Wayne  county,  and  has  thus  })reserved  for  us  in  its  ample  fold, 
a  very  large  area  of  this  valuable  ])ed.  Its  outcrop  has  been  fol- 
lowed from  the  State  line  southward  past  Morgan  town,  Fairmont, 
Clarksburg,  Weston,  Troy,  Gle'nville,  Sutton,  Sissonville,  and  on 
the  Great  Kanawha  at  Raymond  Cit3^  Beyond  this  river  the  coal 
is  thin,  and  found  in  interrupted  patches,  but  it  has  recently  been 


18 


Coal. 


opened  in  the  tops  of  the  hills  back  from  Huntington,  and  the  last 
patch  of  it  within  the  State  is  in  the  summit  of  a  high  knob  over- 
looking the  Big  Sandy,  and  ten  miles  above  its  mouth.  Kentucky- 
receives  all  of  the  coal  beds  under  this  one  from  our  State,  but  she 
gets  not  an  ounce  of  the  great  Pittsburgh  seam,  for  it  passes  into  the 
air  over  the  tops  of  her  highest  hills,  from  a  point  in  our  State  with- 
in a  stone's  throw  other  territory. 

On  the  Ohio  river  side  of  West  Virginia,  this  bed  comes  into  the 
tops  of  our  hills  opposite  Steubenville,  and  dipping  down  from  the 
north  is  only  100  feet  above  water  level  at  the  mouth  of  Wheeling 
creek.  It  has  thus  been  the  bed  rock  of  Wheeling's  industries  and 
prosperity,  and  it  is  the  foundation  stone  on  which  her  sister  city, 
Pittsburgh,  has  built  such  a  grand  superstructure  of  manufacturing 
interests.  And  notwithstanding  the  temporary  advantages  of  natu- 
ral gas,  this  coal  bed  will  be  the  main  source  of  the  future  greatness 
of  the  two  cities. 

Followed  below  Wheeling,  this  coal  gradually  approaches  the  river 
level  and  passes  beneath  the  same  a  short  distance  below  Benwood, 
and  although  it  is  reached  by  the  shafts  at  Moundsville^  the  horizon 
of  the  coal  keeps  constantly  below  water  level  till  we  reach  the  Vol- 
cano oil  uplift,  a  short  distance  below  St.  Marys.  Here  the  place 
where  it  should  be  is  lifted  250  to  300  feet  above  the  river  for  two  or 
three  miles,  but  the  coal  is  wanting  or  so  thin  that  it  is  practically 
absent,  and  the  same  thing  is  true  all  along  this  arch  from  Eureka 
thr.  ugh  by  Volcano  to  Burning  Springes  and  beyond  toward  Spencer. 
How  broad  this  barren  belt  may  be  we  cannot  yet  certainly  deter- 
mine, owing  to  want  of  observations  in  the  central  part  of  the  State, 
but  therf^  are  some  reasons  for  believing  that  this  barren  region  is 
coincident  with  the  course  of  the  Volcano  arch,  and  that  it  thus 
extends  from  Eureka  through  to  Burning  Springs  on  the  Great 
Kanawha,  10  miles  above  Charleston;  and  that  along  this  line  ior  a 
distance  of  several  (10  to  15)  miles  on  each  side,  no  valuable  deposits 
of  this  coal  can  be  found.  We  know,  however,  that  the  coal  comes 
in  again  west  of  this  arch,  for  when  the  Ohio  turns  north  below 
Letart  Falls  the  rise  of  the  rocks  soon  brings  th^i  coal  to  the  surface 
at  Hartford  City  and  other  points  in  that  region,  where  it  is  still  a 
valuable  bed,  though  much  reduced  in  thickness  from  its  normal 
size  at  the  northern  end  of  tiie  State. 


Coal. 


19 


The  counties  then  which  have  this  great  coal  bed  may  be  enumer- 
ated as  follows:  About  one-half  of  Brooke,  nearly  all  of  Ohio,  all 
of  Marshall,  Wetzel,  Tyler,  Dod(lridge,  the  eastern  halves  of  Ritchie 
and  Gilmer,  the  northern  half  of  Braxton,  the  large  areas  in  western 
Upshur,  Barbour  and  Taylor,  much  of  Lewis,  nearly  all  of  flarrison, 
three-fourths  of  Marion,  and  two-thirds  of  Monongalia.  On  the 
west  side  of  the  barren  strip,  this  coal  will  be  found  in  the  [portions 
of  Putnam  and  Mason  north  from  the  Great  Kanawha,  probably  all 
of  Jackson,  and  the  most  of  that  portion  of  Kanawha  north  from  the 
Elk  and  Kanawha  rivers. 

Of  course  under  much  of  this  large  area,  the  bed  can  only  be 
reached  by  shafting,  but  a  depth  of  300  to  400  feet  will  reach  it 
along  most  of  the  valleys,  even  where  it  is  deepest,  except  near  the 
summits  of  the  divides,  where  it  is  deeper  of  course,  but  still  within 
the  limits  of  easy  access  whenever  the  time  shall  come  that  it  is 
needed  for  fuel  supply. 

One  of  the  finest  areas  of  this  coal,  and  the  most  easily  accessible, 
lies  along  the  Monongahela  river,  between  the  Pennsylvania  line 
and  the  tier  of  counties  through  which  this  river  flows,  viz  :  Lewis, 
Harrison,  Marion  and  Monongalia.  The  distance  from  the  State 
line  to  Weston,  by  the  meanders  of  the  river,  is  more  than  one  hun- 
dred miles,  and  throughout  this  long  distance  the  great  Pittsburgh 
bed  is  almost  constantly  above  water  level,  and  cropping  out  from 
either  bank  of  the  stream  at  a  moderate  elevation  above  the  same,  so 
as  to  be  most  fortunately  situated  for  cheap  and  successful  mining. 

The  universal  excellence  of  this  coal  for  all  purposes  of  fuel,  gas. 
coke  and  every  other  use  to  which  coal  can  be  put,  renders  the  field 
in  question  one  of  the  most  valuable  in  the  country,  or  in  the 
world  for  that  matter,  and  the  railroad  that  first  opens  it  up  to 
market  will  have  a  monopoly  of  good  things  in  the  coal  traffic  for  a 
long  time 

It  w^as  formerly  supposed  that  this  coal  would  not  make  mer- 
chantable coke,  but  the  successful  working  of  nearly  200  ovens  at 
Montana,  on  the  Fairmont,  Morgantowm  and  Pittsburgh  railroad, 
together  with  the  successful  plants  at  Fairmont,  Clarksburg,  Tyr- 
connell,  Monongah,  etc.,  have  set  this  question  happily  at  rest,  and 
proven  that  the  coal  in  question  will  make  a  coke  hut  little  inferidr, 


20 


Coal. 


if  any  at  all,  to  that  from  the  celebrated  Connellsville  region,  of 
which  the  Monongahela  country  is  simply  a  southward  extension. 

THE  BASIS  OF  OUR  PROSPERITY. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  hasty  and  imperfect  review  of  the  coal 
fields  of  our  State  that  the  quantity  of  this  valuable  fuel  which 
,  underlies  the  surface  of  our  hills  and  valleys  and  mountains,  is  al- 
most beyond  conception,  and  it  does  not  aid  the  mind  much  to  be 
told  that  if  we  put  the  workable  thickness  of  coal  underlying  the 
10,000,000  acres  of  our  coal  field,  at  only  ten  feet,  the  available 
product  will  be  at  least  100,000,000,000  tons.  But  impossible  as  it 
may  be  to  comprehend  the  real  meaning  of  such  an  array  of  figures, 
we  can  at  least  be  assured  that  the  basis  of  our  future  prosperity  is 
grounded  so  firmly  in  this  wealth  which  lies  hidden  in  our  hills, 
that  nothing  conceivable  to  human  reason  can  thwart  our  growth 
or  prevent  our  continued  progress  in  'everything  pertaining  to  in- 
dustrial welfare. 

The  West  Virginia  coal  field  is  one  and  a  half  times  larger  than 
that  of  Great  Britain,  the  production  of  whose  mines  is  now  nearly 
two  hundred  million  tons  annually.  In  the  not  distant  future 
when  the  network  of  railways  which  the  benefactors  of  our  State 
are  now  planning  for  its  development,  shall  have  connected  our 
mines  with  links  of  steel  to  the  great  arteries  of  trade  and  com- 
merce, and  our  production  of  coal  shall  have  ris^n  to  even  half 
what  Great  Britain's  is,  then  will  our  people  begin  to  realize  more 
clearly  the  enormous  value  of  the  fuel  wealth  to  which  we  are  heirs. 

The  outline  of  the  distribution  of  the  coals  of  West  Virginia, 
by  Professor  White,  given  above,  together  with  the  brief  descriptions 
of  the  coal  of  each  county  given  in  the  subsequent  pages  of  this 
volume,  will  suffice  to  give  a  general  idea  of  the  coal  fields  of  the 
State.  The  space  at  our  command  is  not  sufficient  to  permit  a  more 
lull  description. 

With  this  almost  limitless  amount  of  coal  locked  up  in  the  bowels 
of  the  earth,  comparatively  little  has  ever  been  done  toward  its 
development.  With  sixteen  thousand  square  miles  of  coal  but  200 
collieries  are  now  in  operation.  The  'total  capital  invested  in  the 
production  of  coal  in  this  State,  according  to  the  last  census,  is 


Coal. 


21 


$10,508,050.  The  total  number  of  persons  employed  in  and  about 
the  mines  of  the  State  in  the  last  year  was  15,393.  It  is  only 
within  the  last  few  years  that  the  coals  of  \V est  Virginia  have 
attracted  any  attention  Irom  the  men  m  other  States  who  had  the 
capital  to  develope  them,  but  the  growth  of  the  mining  industry 
since  that  time  has  been  rapid.  Twelve  years  ago  less  than  a  sixth 
as  much  coal  was  produced  annually  as  is  now  mined.  In  1880  the 
State  ranked  seventh  in  the  Union  in  the  production  of  coal;  last  year 
but  three  other  States  produced  as  much  as  West  Virginia.  The 
growth  of  the  business  is  shown  by  the  following  table : 


YEARS. 


1880. 
1881 
1882. 
1883. 
1884. 
1885. 
1886, 
1887. 
1888, 
1889, 
1890 
1891 
1892_ 

This  increase,  rapid  as  it  has  been,  would  have  been  much  larger, 
but  for  the  want  of  adequate  facilities  for  the  transportation  '  of  the 
coal.  Every  railroad  in  the  State  that  passes  through  coal  regions 
has  all  it  can  do  to  handle  the  product  of  the  mines  along  its  line 
and  the  development  of  new  fields  is  much  retarded  from  this  cause. 
The  construction  of  new  roads,  the  double  tracking  of  old  ones, 
and  the  purchase  of  hundreds  of  new  cars  and  other  equipments 
are  assisting  materially  in  developing  the  coal,  but  still  there  is  room 
for  more.  The  railroads  can  little  more  than  handle  the  present 
output  of  the  mines  and  as  fast  as  new  ones  are  built  they  are 
crowded  to  their  fullest  capacity.  Those  sections  w^iich  ape  favored 
with  river  transportation  suffer  less  from  this  cause  than  the  others, 
but  every  new  facilit}'  for  reaching  the  market  materially  increases 
the  output  of  the  mines.  The  activity  in  railroad  building  in  this 
State  indicates  that  this  can  not  longer  remain  the  cause  for  the 
want  of  proper  growth  of  the  mining  industry.  Last  year  the  State 


Insif^e 
Miuers. 

Outside 
Laborers 
and 
Cokp.  W'rk'rs 

Total 
Production 
Ton  2,000  lbs. 

Percentage 
of 

Increase. 

2..553 

1,173 

1,401,008 

3;063 

1,407 

1,803,984 

28.48 

3,573 

1,641 

2.416.960 

33.90 

4,438 

1,9.^6 

3.142.234 

30.00 

4,627 

1,724 

3.249,839 

3.40 

5.486 

1.806 

3.369,062 

3.60 

6.081 

1.181 

3,.598,664 

6.80 

7.023 

1,582 

4.936,820 

37.18 

7,269 

1,705 

5,375.564 

8.89 

7,764 

1.882 

5,405,173 

0.55 

9.173 

2,. 324 

6.002.080 

11.04 

10,434 

2,589 

8,1.5.5.202 

35.87 

9,884 

5,509 

8,710.888 

6.81 

Average 
Ann  ual 
Increase. 


5  ■— 


-  05<} 


< 


22 


Coal. 


stood  first  of , all  in  the  amount  of  railroad  built  within  the  year, 
and  from  all  the  indications,  l)ids  fair  to  do  the  same  again  this  year. 
New  lines  are  projected  in  every  direction  and  through  all  the  coun- 
ties of  the  State,  and  ample  facilities  will  soon  be  afforded  for  all 
the  shipments  of  coal  that  may  be  desired. 

Several  causes  :-oinbine  to  ^'ive  the  coals  of  West  Virginia  their 
enormous  value — the  great  area  and  thickness  of  the  beds,  making 
the  largest  deposit  of  coal  in  any  State  in  the  Union;  the  purity  of 
the  coal,  wliich  is  singularly  free  from  sulphur  and  other  impuri- 
ties; the  variety  of  the  kiiids  found,  anthracite,  splint,  cannel  and 
bituminous  all  being  found,  and  all  but  the  first  in  enormous  quanti- 
ties and  frequently  upon  the  same  property;  the  value  of  the  coal, 
much  of  which  commands  a  liigher  price  in  the  market  than  other 
similar  coals ;  the  ease  v>^ith  wiiicli  it  can  be  worked,  in  half  the 
State,  ])erl]aps,  the  coal  all  being  above  the  water  level,  and  in  all 
the  rest  being  much  nearer  the  surface  than  is  the  coal  of  other 
places  which  is  constantly  worked,  as  in  England  where  shafts  are 
put  down  as  deep  as  2,600  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth,  the 
shaft  costing  half  a  millicn  dollars;  the  nearness  to  market,  being 
much  nearer  to  the  southern  and  western  markets  than  is  the  coal 
of  Pennsylvania,  its  only  competitor,  and  having  several  through 
lines  to  the'north-west  and  the  east;  its  nearness  to  the  great  Vir- 
ginia iron  ore  fields,  where  much  iron  is  now  made  and  more  will 
be;  the  cheapness  of  the  lands  upon  which  the  coals  are  found  and 
the  cheapness  vvith  which  it  can  be  mined,  the  average  cost  of  min- 
ing coal  in  West  Virginia  being  lower  than  in  any  other  State  in 
the  Union  save  one. 

ANTHRACITE  COAL. 

The  amount  of  anthracite  coal  in  the  State  is  comparatively  small, 
though  there  is  enough  of  it  to  be  of  considerable  value.  It  is  found 
in  but  two  counties —Bei-keley  and  Morgan— lying  in  the  hills  that 
separate  the  two.  As  long  ago  as  1835  the  owners  of  some  property 
in  these  counties  had  some  investigations  made  to  see  what  amount 
of  coal  there  was  there  and  the  value  of  it.  A  six-foot  vein  of  an- 
thracite coal  was  then  found,  but  water  filled  the  mine  and  it  was 
abandoned.  At  various  times  since' then  efforts  have  been  made 
to  ascertain  the  extent  and  value  of  the  coal  deposit,  but  until 


Coal. 


23 


recently  nothing  was  done  in  a  determined  way,  and  little  more  was 
known  than  that  there  was  anthracite  coal  in  the  hills,  and  that 
it  was  pretty  hard  to  get  at.  In  1883  further  efforts  were  made 
hy  other  parties  to  get  at  the  coal  and  a  ten-foot  vein  was  struck. 
This  shaft  also  filled  with  water  and  remains  so  to  the  present 
time.  In  1889  on  experienced  mining  engineer  wps  sent  from 
Pottsville,  Pa.,  to  look  into  this  property  and  report  upon  it.  His 
report  says  the  coal  is  "of  fair  quality  and  compares  favorahly  with 
Pennsylvania  anthracite  coal."  Later  a  New  York  geologist  was 
sent  to  look  into  the  field.  He  made  an  opening  and  at  five  feet 
from  the  surface,  struck  the  top  of  the  largest  seam  of  coal  yet 
found,  'The  shaft  was  sunk  to  the  distance  of  forty-two  feet.  His 
report  s-ays :  "At  five  feet  from  the  surface  the  top  of  the  coal  was 
reached  and  the  shaft  continued  in  coal  to  the  bottom.  At  the  bot- 
tom a  cut  is  made  across  the  vein  from  east  to  west.  This  is  cut 
from  wall  rock  to  wall  rock,  and  is  24  feet  9  inches  wide  and  de- 
velopes  a  width  of  15  feet  7  inches  of  good  anthracite  coal."  The 
coal  is  found  in  four  beds,  separated  slightly,  one  of  which  con- 
tains 5  feet  9  inches  of  solid  coal,  another  4  feet,  one  26  inches  and 
the  fourth  44  inches.  He  says,  "There  are  not  less  than  five  seams 
of  anthracite  coal  in 'Third  Hill'  mountain."  This  seam  has  been 
followed  and  its  presence  shown  by  openings  for  a  distance  of  twenty- 
five  miles.  No  coal  has  ever  been  mined  here  save  the  few  samples 
taken  out  by  persons  prospecting.  Several  analysCvS  have  been 
made  of  the  coal  from  this  deposit,  a  few  of  which  we  give 
as  follows:  One  gives  the  water  and  volatile  matter  at  11  per 
cent. ,  the  fixed  carbon  82.54,  and  the  ash  6.46.  Another  gives: 
fixed  carbon  88.05,  volatile  matter  5.28,  and  ash  6.66.  Still  another 
gives:  moisture  at  100  degrees,  2.45,  volatile  matter  6.85,  fixed  carbon 
86.29,  ash  4.40. 

SPLINT  COAL. 

The  splint  coal  is  a  very  hard  variety  found  principally  in 
the  Middle  and  Lower  measures  and  almost  entirely  in  that  part 
of  the  State  between  Braxton  county  in  the  center  and  Wayne 
in  the  southwest,  the  borders  of  the  area  extending  for  a  consider- 
able distance  on  either  side  of  the  central  line.  The  coal  is  thus 
spoken  of  by  Professor  Maury :    "For  the  combined  purposes  of 


24 


Coal. 


steam,  domestic  use  and  the  manufacture  ot  iron,  it  may  be  looked 
upon  as  the  most  useful  and  valuable  coal  of  the^State.  Its  value  is 
due  to  its  firmness  and  solidity,  which  enables  it  to  be  handled, 
shifted  and  stored  with  very  little  loss ;  it  burns  well,  leaving  but 
little  ash;  has  both  high  calorific  power  and  intensity;  is  usually 
remarkably  free  from  sulphur  (iron  pyrites)  and  other  impuritie?*; 
has  little  or  no  tendency  to  clinker;  is  free  from  the  danger  of  firing 
by  spontaneous  combustion — a  great  desideratum  in  storage  and 
ocean  transnortation ;  is  first  rate  as  a  steam  and  household  fire  and 
has  a  particular  adaptability  in  the  raw  state  to  the  manufacture  of" 
iron  in  the  blast  furnace,  for  which  purpose  it  is  easterly  sought  in 
districts  accessible  to  market,  as  it  makes  a  quality  of  iron  which 
can  only  be  surpassed  by  the  use  of  charcoal."  It  is  an  especial 
favorite  for  shipping  because  of  the  small  loss  in  handling  or  from 
ex})osure  to  the  weather  and  finds  a  ready  market  from  the  variety 
of  uses  to  which  it  is  adapted.  It  is  mined  extensivel}^  in  the  Great 
Kanawha  valley  and  along  the  western  end  of  the  Norfolk  &  Wes- 
tern railroad  in  this  State.  The  coal  is  very  hard  but  splits  easily 
and  smoothly  and  is  mined  in  large  lumps.  In  some  of  the  Wayne 
coun.ty  mines  the  coal  has  a  tendency  to  split  into  long  and  thin 
pieces  so  that  it  has  been  likened  by  some  to  fence  rails. 

CANNEL  COAL. 

Thecannel  coal  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  varieties  found  in  the 
State.  It  is  rich  and  oily,  and  contains  a  larger  proportion  of  vola- 
tile matter  than  any  of  the  other  coals  found  in  the  State.  Its  ap- 
pearance is  doubtless  known  to  all  our  readers.  Of  a  dull,  black 
color,  the  coal  will  take,  when  polished,  a  brilliant  lustre.  It  is  more 
tenacious  and  less  brittle  than  other  coals  and  may  be  cut  or  carved 
into  any  shnpe.  The  coal  is  clean  and  will  not  soil  the  whitest  sur- 
face nnd  yet  contains  ;i  large  amount  of  oil.  It  was  from  the  rich 
and  oily  cannel  coal  tliat  oil  was  made  before  the  war.  From  good 
cannel  coal  from  40  to  80  gallons  of  crude  oil  were  produced  to  the 
ton;  the  Peytona  coal  yielding  20  gallons  of  crude  illuminating  oil, 
52  gallons  of  crude  lubricating  oil,  and  7.2  gallons  of  oily  paraffine. 
Total  70.2  gallons  to  the  ton.  The  discovery  of  petroleum  made  oil 
so  much  cheaper  than  it  could  be  made  from  coal  that  the  "cannel 
coal  oil"  was  soon  displaced  and  gradually  fell  into  disuse.    But  for 


Coal 


25 


making  gas  there  is  no  better  coal,  more  gas  and  that  of  greater 
brilliancy  being  produced  from  a  pound  of  cannel  coal  than  from 
any  other  coal  found  in  America.  For  fuel  the  cannel  coal  is  not 
surpassed.  It  burns  with  a  brilliant  light,  makes  an  intense  heat 
and  leaves  but  little  refuse.  It  brings  a  much  higher  price  than  any 
other  coal  found  in  the  State. 

BITUMINOUS  COAL. 

By  far  the  most  widely  distributed  coal  found  in  the  State  is  the 
ordinary  bituminous  coal,  valuable  for  fuel,  gas,  steam  and  coking 
purposes.  It  is  found  in  almost  every  county  in  the  State  and  in 
great  variety.  .  Not  only  is  it  found  in  counties  where  the  other  coal 
is  not,  but  nearly  always  in  the  same  veins  with  other  coals,  bitu- 
minous is  also  found.  This  coal  is  mined  more  than  any  other  in 
the  State,  and  by  reason  of  the  greater  variety  of  uses  to  which  it 
may  be  put  and  the  cheapness  with  which  it  may  be  mined,  the 
demand  for  it  is  greater  than  for  any  other  kind.  The  veins  vary 
in  thickness  from  a  few  inches  to  more  than  20  feet  and  the  char- 
acter of  the  coals  varies  almost  as  much.  While  splint  and  cannel 
coals  are  largely  mined,  it  is  the  softer  coals  that  give  the  value  to 
the  coal  fields  of  West  Virginia,  and  employment  to  thousands  of 
its  people.  From  them  the  fa:nous  West  Virginia  coke  is  made, 
which  rivals  the  celebrated  coke  from  Connellsville,  and  in  the 
manufacture  of  which  long  rows  of  blazing  furnaces  may  be  seen 
from  almost  any  passing  railroad  train,  brightening  the  hillsides 
with  th'^ir  lurid  light  and  filling  the  valleys  near  them  with  their 
smoke. 

The  character  of  the  West  Virginia  coals  can  be  seen  from  the 
analyses  given  in  the  following  tables.  Their  richness  in  both  vol- 
atile matter  and  fixed  carbon,  their  freedom  from  injurious  sulphur 
and  ash,  their  many  points  of  excellence  and  their  superiority  over 
other  coals  whose  analyses  are  also  given  may  all  be  noted  by  the 
careful  observer. 


28 


Coal. 

analyses  of  coals. 


Name  of  Colliery. 


Crown  Hill   

(^oiill)iir^;  

I'iunt  Creek  

Puint.  ('reek  

Aoine  

Acme  

Black  Band  

Bliicksburg  

Cedar  Grove  

Willi  I  re  de  

I'eel  Splint  Coal  Co  

Averaj;(^   Kana-wiia,  Gas 

Cloaks  

Gauley  Mountain  

Po\v<')  Iton  

Great  Kanawha  

Great  Kanawha  

Crescent  

Black  Peerless  

rampbell's  Creek  

Nuttallbur^-  

Nuttallhur^  

Fire  Creek  

Quinnimont  

Average  of  all  New  River 

Mines  

Averaae  of  10  sample^* 

Flat  Top  Coal  

Prati's  Lands  

Twelve  Pole  

Stevens"  Branch  

Tnii  Fork  

Cas.svllle  

Ferguson  

Peytona  Cannel  

Cannelton  Cannel  

Lost  Run  Cannel  

Twelve  Pole  Cannel  

Redstone  Coal  

Redstone  ( 'oa  l   

R-wieklH-y  Coal  

Waynesbiiri^i,-  C  oal  

Clements  

Montana  

Monongah  

Despard  

Howard  

Austen  

Davis  

'■J'honias  

Bofigs  Run  

Moundsviilf!  


K  anawha 


Fayette  . . 

Kanawha 
Fayette  . . 


Mercer  and 
McDowell. 
Webster 
Wa  vne  . 


Roone. 
Kanawha 
Taylor.. . 
Wayne  . . 
VI  on  on  pal 
Marion  . . . 
Monongalia 

Marion 


Harrison.. 


Preston 
Tucker. 


Ohio  

iMarshali 


62.  61 

62.  00 

63.  71 
60.77 
57.90 
53.  22 
57.48 
56.  75 
61.27 
58.73 
57.78 

56.26 
64.00 
61.75 
58.43 
59.  89 
59.10 
58  62 
61.07 
70.  67 
69. 00 
75.50 
79.29 

74.01 

74.06 
68.20 
56.  35 
60.10 
61.18 
44.89 
51.35 
41.00 
23.50 
42  32 
42.59 
54.36 
50.  33 
54.31 
66.36 

55.  02 

56.  57 
58.48 
53.03 
55.76 
68.  00 
67.18 
72.76 
46.  30 
44.  30l 


33.26 
33.  50 
30.13 
36.26 
37.09 
41.36 
38.  58 
41.17 
36.  83 
36.  33 
35.34 

37.36 
32.60 
34.91 
38.48 
34.61 

36.  72 
38.  05 
35.  64 
25.35 
29.  59 
22.42 
18.  65 

23.  20 

18.83 
29.40 
37.60 
36.40 
38.74 
43.22 
38  70 
46.00 
58.00 
23.08 
49.40 
37.88 
40.97 
35.78 
35.36 
37.00 
36.78 
36.92 
34.00 

37.  36 

38.  00 
26.84 
22.90 
43.29 
45.  17 


2.14 
3 . 65 

'i.'84 
1.93 
1.66 
2.  24 
1.23 

'i.36 
1.75 

1.25 
1.40 
0.94 

0.  62 

1.  14 

0.90 
1.51 
1.35 
0.  34 
0.73 
0. 76 

0. 83 

0.  69 
0.95 
1.60 
1.70 


1.56 
3.45 


0.18 
0.35 


0.  62 
0.80 


0.  36 


1 

28 

0 

23 

0 

16 

0 

56 

0 

81 

1 

27 

0 

77 

0 

37 

0 

57 

0 

78 

0 

53 

0 

23 

0 

50 

0 

7fi 

0 

55 

0 

57 

0 

72 

0.82 

1 

92 

0.37 

2.87 

1.01 

4.27 

0.  44 

3.10 

0.74 

0.70 

1.00 

0.  80 

1.42 

0.71 

1.52 

1.08 

I.IO 

1.82 

1.50 

0. 50 

0.  80 

1.68 

0.96 

0.  59 

1.20 

1.01 

1.23 

1.81 
1.50 
6. 13 
1.13 
3.08 
3.75 
1.70 
0.  85 
1.90 
2 
5.13 

3.85 
2  00 
2.40 
1.91 
4.36 
2.91 
2.  43 
1.21 
2. 10 
1 

0.80 
1.11 


1.43 


64 
45 
05 
50 
88  T 
33 
50 
00 
50 
01 
41 


Authority, 


07  C 


Dewey,  Vance  &  Co. 

1).  G.  M.  Levette. 

R  O.  Uoremus. 

P.  B.  Wilson. 

K.  L.  Howard,  U.  S.  G.  S. 

R.  M.  Byrnes. 


Win  if  rede  Coal  Co. 
A.  R.  Otter. 

C.  &  0.  Coal  Agencv. 
VV.  N.  Page. 
Ily.  Froeling. 

A.  S.  McCreath. 
.].  W.  Mallet. 
F.  W  Dewey,  U.  S.  Govt. 
Riverside  Iron  Co. 
Prof.  Eggleston. 

E.  Wright. 
.\.  S.  McCreath. 
Prof.  Eggleston. 


M.  F.  Spruce. 

A.  S  McCreath. 
Hy.  Froeling. 
Wormlev. 


'aylor. 
Dwight. 
Hy.  Froeling. 
Manhattan  Gas  Light  (.'o. 

C.  E.  Dwight. 


9.47 
7. 55 

6.00  A.  S.  McCreath. 
4.51 
7.001 

e.OrlWashingfn  Gas  Light  Co 
3.96is.  C.  P'ord. 
0.20  P.  B.  Wilson. 
3.50 

2. 79  J.  W.  Powell. 
9.  30  C.  E.  Dwight. 
8.29 


TiMBKR. 


27 


TIMBER. 


The  claim  is  made,  and  figures  are  given  to  prove  it,  that  West 
Virginia  has  a  greater  amount  of  hard  wood  timl)er  in  its  forests 
than  any  other  State  In  the  Union.  Ex  Governor  Wilson  says:  "I 
have  the  statistics  to  prove  that  West  Virginia  has  more  of  a  surplus 
of  hardwoods  than  any  other  ten  States  in  the  Unions  This  is  rather 
an  extravagant  claim  for  so  small  a  State  but  a  thorough  examina- 
tion of  the  forests  will  show  that  nearly  or  quite  one-half  the  State 
is  still  uncleared,  and  by  far  the  greater  portion  of  the  uncleared 
lands  is  still  in  virgin  forests  where  the  axe  of  man  has  never  found 
its  way  and  where  the  magnificent  specimens  of  forest  growth  stand 
thickly  side  by  side  and  reach  a  towering  height  which  gives  the 
forests  of  the  State  their  splendid  values.  Except  in  California 
where  the  redwood  trees  attain  tremendous  size  no  finer  timber 
may  be  found  within  the  confines  of  the  Union  than  that  which 
grows  in  West  Virginia.  The  splendid  forests  of  thousands  of  acres 
of  untouched  timber,  where  nearly  every  kind  of  timber  found  in 
the  North  American  continent  may  be  seen,  where  trees  grow  to 
such  size  that  ordina»y  methods  will  not  suffice  to  handle  them  and 
where  the  forests  are  so  thick  that  the  light  of  day  scarce  penetrates 
their  shade  and  pathways  must  be  cut  before  the  axemen  can  find 
room  to  work,  have  yielded  annually  many  million  feet  of  timber 
which  has  gone  to  nearly  every  country  on  the  earth  and  given  the 
West  Virginia  timber  a  world-wide  reputation.  From  European 
countries  capital  has  come  and  been  invested  in  the  woods  of  West 
Virginia,  and  agents  come  from  England  every  year  to  purchase 
West  Virginia  timber.  No  finer  oak  or  poplar  grows  beneath  the 
sun  than  that  which  may  be  found  in  almostan  y  county  in  the  State. 
The  magnificent  size,  the  excellent  quality  of  the  timber  and  the 
great  variety  give  to  the  timber  lands  of  West  Virginia  unusual 
value  and  have,  particularly   in  the   last  few  years,  attracted 


28 


Timber 


the  attention  of  timber  men  from  almost  every  quarter.  Som 
ten  or  fifteen  thousand  men  are  now  engaged  in  one  way  ( 
another  in  timber,  lumber,  sawmill  or  kindred  business.  Tn 
mendous  onslaught  has  been  made  upon  the  forests.  Great  armi( 
of  choppers  have,  with  their  axes,  made  inroads  on  the  wooc 
throughout  the  State  and  every  rise  brings  out  of  every  stream,  hov 
ever  small',  its  quota  of  logs  or  ties  or  other  timber.  It  is  almo 
impossible  to  get  any  statistics  on  the  lumber  business  and  tl: 
amount  of .  lumber  cut  annually  in  the  State.  In  1880  the  tot; 
amount  of  various  kinds  cut  within  the  State  was  about  180,00C 
000  feet.  To-day  it  is  far  more  than  twice  as  much.  New  sav 
mills  are  building  every  day,  new  territory  being  opened,  and  it 
safe  to  say  that  now  the  total  cut  of  all  the  mills  is  no  less  tha 
500,000,000  feet  a  year.  The  forests  are  being  rapidly  destroye* 
Not  only  trees  of  proper  timber  size  are  being  cut,  but  smaller  om 
for  telegraph  poles  and  railroad  ties  are  also  taken  out.  The  tre( 
both  large  and  small,  the  bark  for  tanbark  and  small  hickories  f( 
hoop-poles  are  all  removed  and  bat  a  short  time  is  required  to  chan^ 
a  forest  to  a  farm,  to  bare  the  mountain  tops  and  clear  their  side 
to  turn  the  timber  into  ties  or  work  it  into  lumber  or  its  product 
To  show  the  size  of  some  of  the  trees  cut  from  the  West  Virgini 
forests  we  give  the  following  measurement  of  a  poplar  tree  recentl 
milled  at  Camden  on  the  Gauley,.  cut  in  Nicholas  county  in  one  ( 
the  finest  poplar  regions  in  the  State : 

2  Logs  60  luches  Diaiueter,  16  Feet  Long,  ScMled  5,912  Fe«'t,  Board  Measure. 
2     "    63      "  16        "  "      6.802  '• 

1     "    63       "  "         12       "  "      2,611  " 

1  "     69       "  ■'  10        "  "      2,641  " 

2  "    Kroken,  Scaled  6,761  " 

Total   24,727  " 

DISTRIBUTION  AND  VARIETY. 

Writing  of  the  forests  of  West  Virginia  for  the  World's  Fair  ed 
tipn  of  the  Baltimore  Evniing  News^  Maj.  Jed  Hotchkiss,  one  ot  th 
best  posted  men  in  the  South,  particularly  on  the  resources  of  tl 
two  Virginias,  has  the  following  to  say  : 

"West  Virginia  is  undoubtedly  the  timber  State  of  all  the  Stat( 
east  of  the  Mississippi;  in  fcict  of  all  the  States  on  the  Atlantic  slo^ 


Timber. 


29 


of  the  continent.  Fully  three-fourths  of  its  24,645  square  miles  of 
area  are  still  covered  by  virgin  forests,  and  in  all  the  remainder  of 
the  State  where  the  forest  maps  indicate  that  the  valuable  timber 
has  been  largely  removed,  there  are  still  large  numbers  of  timber 
trees  included  in  the  portions  of  farms  that  are  held  for  forest  pur- 
poses. 

"This  State  is  very  favorably  located  for  the  growth  of  forests.  Tt 
is  in  the  favored  belt  of  temperature  between  about  37  degrees  and 
4L  degrees  of  north  latitude.  Within  its  boundaries,  trending 
northeast  and  southwest,  thus  opening  the  country  to  the  damp, 
warm  winds  from  the  Gulf,  are  numerous  ranges  of  the  great  Appa- 
lachian, or  Atlantic  Highlands,  but  by  far  the  larger  portion  of  the 
State  lies  oil  the  westward  slope  of  these  mountains  in  the  Trans- 
Appalachian  belt,  the  waters  of  which  rnostly  run  to  the  northwest- 
ward to  the  Ohio.  The  altitude  of  the  country  descends  from  the 
Backbone  or  Alleghany  range  of  the  Appalachians,  from  an  alti- 
tude of  from  2,500  to  4,500  feet  to  from  500  at  the  southwestern 
corner  of  the  State  on  the  Ohio,  at  Kenova,  to  about  GOO  on  the 
same  river  at  Wheeling.  The  altitude  of  the  eastern  corner  of  the 
State  at  Harper's  Ferry  is  272  feet ;  so  the  range  of  altitudes  in  the 
State  is  from  272  feet  to  about  5,000,  giving  a  climatic  range  of  4,728 
feet  or  the  equivalent  of  about  16  degrees  of  latitude;  consequently 
this  State  has  extensive  areas  of  adaptability  for  every  variety  of 
forest  growth  that  is  foui:^d  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States 
east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Dr.  Charles  F.  Millspaugh,  in  his 
Preliminary  Catalogue  of  the  Flora  of  West  Virginia,  1892,  says  of 
this  State:  'It  appears  to  be  the  southern  limit  of  many  boreal, 
the  northern  of  many  austral  and  the  eastern  of  many  occidental 
forms.    It  bids  fair  also  to  continue  to  present  m^rfy  novelties.' 

"The  most  e'evated  portion  of  the  State,  the  great  eastern  border 
of  the  ridgy  plateau  from  which  the  Trans-Appa  achian  country 
descends,  a  territory  some  200  miles  in  length  from  the  head  waters 
of  the  Big  Sandy  to  the  head  waters  of  the  North  Branch  Potomac, 
a  region  that  in  the  main  is  from  3,000  to  5,000  feet  in  altitude, 
furnishes  a  congenial  home  to  theb'ack  spruce,  the  white  pine,  and 
other  evergreen  trees  peculiar  to  northern  latitudes. 

"It  is  probab'e  that  nowhere  in  the  United  States  are  now  exist- 
ing denser  forests  than  those  of  black  spruce  in  the  belt  of  country, 


30 


Timber. 


more  than  100  miles  in  length  and  from  10  to  20  in  breadth,  tha 
extends  through  Greenbrier,  Pocahontas,  Rando  ph  and  Tucke 
counties.  From  measured  acres  of  this  territory  as  many  as  G0,00i 
feet  of  board  measure  of  lumber  have  been  cut.  Only  the  northerj 
end  of  this  vast  spruce  forest  has  been  penetrated  by  railways 
the  West  Virginia  Central  &  Pittsburg  R.  R,  being  the  only  on 
that  has  yet  really  entered  into  it.  In  this  same  e'evated  regioi 
there  are  extensive  forests  of  wild  cherry  of  a  luxuriant  growth 
One  white  pine  belt,  with  a  length  of  70  mi'es  and  an  aveiag 
breadth  of  10  miles,  borders  this  spruce  belt  on  the  southeast  in  th 
basin  of  the  Greenbrier  river.  Another  white  pine  belt,  some  6( 
miles  in  length  and  having  an  average  breadth  of  10  miles,  pene 
trates  this  spruce  belt  from  the  northeast  up  and  along  the  basin  o 
Cheat  river;  while  another  white  pine  area,  some  30  miles  in  lengtl 
and  10  in  breadth,  is  found  in  the  counties  of  Raleigh  and  Wyo 
ming.  On  the  crests  and  higher  slopes  of  the  dozen  or  more  moun 
tain  ranges  of  the  Appalachian  system  that  traverses  the  State  in  i 
northeast  southwest  direction  from  its  eastern  border  to  the  west 
ward,  are  found  other  species  o.  pine  and  several  species  of  birch 
oak,  maples  and  other  trees  such  as  are  peculiar  to  the  higher  alti 
tudes  of  the  country. 

"The  remainder  of  the  State  is  covered  mainly  with  hard- 
wood forests  interspersed  with  a  per  centage  of  the  soft- 
woods such  as  poplars,  asli,  etc.  As  an  illustration  of  the  kinds 
and  distribution  of  these  trees  an  example  may  be  taken  from, 
the  southwestern  portion  of  the  State,  from  the  basin  of  the  Wef^t 
Fork  of  12-Pole  river,  in  Wayne  and  Logan  counties,  where  the 
merchantable  timber  on  12,263  acres,  or  nearly  20  square  miles,  was 
actually  measured"  and  counted.  The  trees  that  were  measured 
were  those  that  were  18  inches  in  diameter  and  upward,  four  feet 
above  the  ground,  with  the  exception  of  locusts,  hickories  and 
black  walnuts  which  were  measured  from  a  diameter  of  10  inches 
and  upward.  The  varieties  and  numbers  of  commercial  timber 
trees  at  this  time  growing  on  this  area  are  as  follows: 


Timber.  31 
I.— TABLE  OF  HARDWOODS. 

1.  White  Oaks   24,760 

'2.  Chestnut  Oaks   38,848 

3.  Black  Oaks   8,525 

4.  Red  Oaks   943 

5.  Hickories   21,298 

6.  Chestnuts   7,681 

7.  Locusts   1,996 

8.  White  Maples   1,583 

9.  Sugar  Maples   450 

10.  Birches                                 .    1,344 

11.  Gums   1,044 

12.  Black  Walnuts  ^   393 

13.  Sycamores   13 


Whole  number  of  Hardwood  Trees    ....  108,878 

2.— TAB„E  OF  SOFTWOODS. 

1.  Tulip-Poplars  :  •   12,450 

2.  Pines   3,472 

3   Lindens     2,325 

4.  Cucumbers   240 

5.  Buckeyes     28 

6.  Ashes   271 

7.  Hemlocks   903 


Whole  number  of  Softwood  Trees  19,689 


"This  summary  shows  that  this  area  contained  128,567  timber 
trees  of  32  species;  25  of  these  kinds  or  108,878  trees,  were  hard- 
woods; and  7  of  these,  or  19,689  trees  were  softwoods;  making  the 
percentages  of  the  whole  number  of  timber  trees  as  84  per  cent,  of 
hardwoods  and  16  per  cent  of  softwoods.  The  average  number  of 
these  timber  trees  to  the  acre  is  ten  and  a  fraction. 

"Interspersed  with  the  tre^s  of  these  tables  are  found  nearly  all 
of  the  varieties  of  smaller  trees  that  are  subsequently  named  in  this 
article  as  exhibited  in  the  West  Virginia  collection  at  Chicago. 
These  countings  were  made  on  lands  extending  from  the  West  12- 


32 


Timber. 


Pole  River  up  to  the  summits  of  the  dividing  ridges  on  either  side 
taking  in  a  range  of  altitude  from  about  650  feet  to  a  little  over 
1,000  feet.  This  specimen  of  forest  fairly  represents  the  entire  north- 
Avestern  portion  of  the  State  from  the  Ohio  River  to  the  southwest 
for  about  75  miles.  In  other  words,  a  ])olt  of  country  160  miles  long 
from  northeast  lo  southwest  and  75  miles  wide  from  northwest  to 
southeast. 

"Another  illustration  of  the  distribution  of  commercial  trees  for 
the  intermediate  country  between  the  high  plateau  and  the  belt 
above  mentioned  may  be  taken  from  the  counting  of  a  thousand 
acres  on  the  headwaters  of  Cherry  River  in  Greenbrier  county, 
West  Virginia,  in  a  region  having  from  2,500  to  3,000  feet  of  alti- 
tude. The  trees  counted  and  measured  were  all  from  18  inches  and 
upward,  except  the  hickories  and  locusts.  The  species  and  numbers 
were  as  follows : 


I.— TABLE  OF  HARDWOODS. 


1.  White  Oaks  - .  . 

2.  Chestnut  Oaks. 

3.  Red  Oaks  .... 

4.  Hickories  

5.  Chestnuts  

6.  White  Maples . . 

7.  Sugar  Maples . . 

8.  Locusts  ... 

9.  Beeches  

10.  Birches  

11.  Gums  

12.  Cherries  

13.  White  Walnuts 


1,513 
3.258 
7,291 
4 

1,965 
1,120 


104 
349 
1 


132 
159 
889 
8() 


Whole  number  of  Hardwood  Trees 


16,871 


2.— TABLE  OF  SOFTWOODS. 


1.  Tulip-Poplars. .  . 

2.  White  Lindens 

3.  Yellow  Lindens 

4.  Ashes  

5.  Hemlocks  

6.  Yew  Pines  


529 
1,014 
937 
576. 
2,303 
34 


Whole  number  of  Softwood  Trees 


5,393 


Timber. 


''Of  these  19  species  of  trees,  13  are  hard  woods  and  6  soft  woods. 
The  whole  number  of  trees  is  22,264,  of  which  16,871,  or  76  per 
cent,  are  hard  woods,  and  5.393,  or  24  per  cent,  are  soft  woods.  The 
average  number  of  timber  trees  per  acre  is  over  22. 

"The  differences  in  the  varieties,  numbers  and  percentages  of  trees 
shown  in  these  two  tables  are  quite  remarkable.  The  timber  belt 
which  is  represented  by  this  second  table  is  one  that  extends  across 
the  State  for  full  200  miles,  from  McDowell  county  in  the  south- 
west to  Preston  county  in  the  northwest.  It  has  an  average 
breadth  of  about  25  miles  and  is  probably  the  most  valuable  of  the 
timber  regions  of  the  State.  As  it  is  bordered  on  the  east  by  the  high 
region  of  evergreen  timbers  first  described,  it  is  evident  that,  taking 
this  belt  and  that  together,  making  a  belt  of  timber  extending 
somewhat  centrally  across  the  State  from  southwest  to  northwest 
for  200  miles,  and  with  an  average  breadth  of  about  35  miles,  that 
West  Virginia  has  in  this  7,000  square  miles  of  territory  one  of  the 
most  valuable  timber  regions,  in  the  extent,  variety,  qualit}^  and 
quantity  of  its  timber  now  remaining  in  the  United  States." 

VALUE  OF  TIMBER. 

In  addition  to  this,  further  information  as  to  the  extent  and 
value  of  the  timber  forests  o'f  the  State  may  be  found  in  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  the  article  written  recently  by  Maj.  John 
Moulton  for  the  Kanawha  Gazette^  at  Charleston,  in  which  he  esti- 
mates— and  his  estimate  is  rather  low  than  high — the  value  of  tim- 
ber standing  in  the  State  at  seventy  million  dollars.    He  says  : 

"With  the  exception  of  the  highest  mountain  ranges,  where  there 
are  to  be  found  large  forests  of  white  pine  and  spruce,  the  timber 
throughout  the  State  consists  almost  wholly  of  hard  woods,  comprised 
of  the  different  kinds  of  oak,  chestnut,  hickory,  poplar  (tulip),  cherry  , 
black  walnut,  white  walnut,  ash,  birch,  locust,  sugar  maple,  etc. 
Of  these,  the  oak  family  is  by  far  the  best  represented,  comprising 
probably  one-third  of  the  entire  growth;  and  of  the  oaks  the  white 
is  by  far  the  most  plentiful.  Next  among  our  valuable  timber 
trees  in  quantity  is  the  poplar  which,  owing  to  its  adaptability  to 
so  many  uses,  makes  it  one  of  the  most  valuable  timber  trees  in 
the  whole  country.  Black  walnut  and  cherry  are  our  most  valu- 
able woods  and  are  found  scattered  throughout  the  State,  but  no- 


34 


Timber. 


where  in  great  quantity.  Ash  is  also  found  throughout  the  State, 
in  greater  quantities  than  walnut  or  cherry,  but  much  less  than 
poplar. 

"Of  all  the  different  species  of  hard  woods,  oak,  poplar,  black 
walnut,  cherry  and  ash  comprise  principally  the  hard  woods  which 
have  been  manufactured  into  lumber,  owing  to  the  fact  that  they 
only  furnished  lumber  whose  price  would  justify  the  cost  of  manu- 
facturing and  transportation  to  distant  markets  and  of  these,  only 
excepting  walnut,  such  trees  have  been  used  as  would  make  largely 
'the  better  qualities  of  sawed  lumber,  or  in  oak,  staves. 

"  The  mountainous  character  of  the  State  has  also  confined  opera- 
tions in  lumbering  to  streams  large  enough  to  float  logs  on  to  the 
lines  of  the  railroads,  leaving  a  large  part  of  the  State  untouched. 

"While  this  characteristic  of  the  State  increases  the  cost  of  put- 
ting the  manufactured  lumber  into  the  hands  of  the  consumer  and 
preventing  its  manufacture  entirely  over  large  districts,  it  is  not 
without  its  future  benefit  to  the  State  and  to  the  owner  as  it  has 
curtailed  the  manufacture,  preventing  a  cut  of  timber  beyond  the 
demands  and  increasing  its  value  in  decreasing  the  aggregate  amount 
by  use  only  of  that  more  attainable. 

"Any  estimate  of  the  standing  timber  in  the  State  can  only  be  a 
matter  of  opinion  but  taking  the  amount  of  the  surface  of  the  State 
still  covered  with  timber,  which  I  believe  is  nearly  two-thirds,  and 
deducting  from  it  the  lands  cut  over  for  good  timber  along  streams 
and  railroads,  by  a  liberal  estimate  two-fifths  of  the  State  is  still  in  the 
virgin  forest  or  about  seven  million  acres  which  estimating  at  two 
and  one-half  thousand  feet  per  acre  at  an  average  price  of  two  dol- 
lars per  thousand  would  make  the  large  sum  of  thirty-five  million 
dollars  as  the  value  of  the  standing  good  timber. 

"This  estimate  of  the  number  of  acres  of  timber  lands  and  amount 
per  acre,  may  be  considered  small,  but  it  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration that  I  am  only  considering  such  timber,  oak,  poplar, 
walnut,  cherry  and  ash,  as  would  make  lumber  mostly  suitable  for 
shipping,  and  also  that  parts  of  the  land,  such  as  barren  south 
hillsides,  are  substantially  bare  of  timber,  and  that  I  do  not  include 
the  white  pine  and  spruce  of  the  upper  mountain  regions. 

"But  in  regarding  the  timber  values  of  the  State,  shipping  lum- 


Timber. 


ber,  or  the  best  grades,  should  not  by  any  means  be  alone  taken  into 
account. 

"Our  wild  lands,  it  is  well  known,  are  held  very  generally  in 
large  bodies,  and  valued  to  a  great  extent  for  the  minerals  under- 
lying them.  For  the  development  of  these  minerals  all  the  coarser 
grades  of  timber,  comprising  every  kind  of  hard  wood,  will  be 
needed,  and  will  aggregate  in  value  for  this  home  consumption 
fully  as  much  as  that  of  the  higher  and  better  grades. 

"Again,  unlike  some  other  sources  of  national  wealth,  the  quan- 
tity and  quality  of  the  timber  of  our  State,  depends  on  no  contin- 
gency, audits  value  must  increase,  as  eveiywhere  the  consumption 
of  lumber  is  greater  than  the  natural  growth  , of  the  forests. 

"Of  the  quality  of  our  timber  there  is  no  longer  any  question  of 
its  being  eagerly  sought  after  by  manufacturers  all  over  the 
country." 


36 


Iron. 


IRON. 


In  a  recent  pamphlet  on  the  iron  ores  of  the  two  Virginias,  Judge 
Homer  A.  Holt,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Appeals  of  West  Virginia, 
and  Adam  C.  Snyder,  ex-Judge  of  the  same  court,  give  facts  and 
figures  to  show  that  in  the  world's  iron  production  in  the  future 
the  Virginias  must  take  a  prominent  part.  From  an  exhaustive 
treatise  on  the  subject  w^e  take  the  following  extracts: 

The  world's  production  of  iron  in  round  numbers  has  been  as  fol- 
lows : 


The  ratio  of  increase  is  thus  shown  to  be  for  the  first  period  of 
eleven  years  about  forty  per  cent. ;  for  the  second  period  over  fifty- 
one  per  cent;  for  the  third  a  little  less  than  eighty  per  cent.,  and  for 
the  single  year  ending  in  1890  nearly  seven  per  cent.  If  this  accel- 
erating ratio  of  increase  is  maintained,  and  the  probabilities  are 
tliat  it  will  be  greatly  exceeded,  then  the  production  for  the  year 
1900  will  be  in  excess  of  fifty  million  tons. 


In  1856 
In  1867 
In  1878 
In  1889 
In  1890 


6,600,000  gross  tons, 

9,300,000  " 
14,100,000 
25,000,000    "  " 
26,500,000    "     '  " 


Iron. 


37 


1867. 

1878. 

1889 

1890. 

Per  cent. 

Per  cent. 

Per  cent . 

Per  cent. 

14.50 

16.80 

30.57 

33.00 

52.80 

45.20 

33.16 

28.23 

;ium 

26.00 

28.75 

27.98 

6.70 

9.25 

8.29 

The  relative  per  cent,  of  the  world's  product  from  1867  to  1890 
has  been  as  follows  : 


United  States 
Great  Britain 


All  other  countries  - 

It  is  thus  shown  that  the  production  of  the  United  States,  which 
was  only  14.50  per  cent,  in  1867,  rose  in  the  succeeding  twenty- 
three  3'ears  to  33.00  per  cent.,  equal  to  one-third  of  the  entire  pro- 
duQtion  of  the  world,  while  Great  Britain,  which  up  to  1889  pro- 
duced more  iron  than  any  other  nation,  fell  off  in  the  same  twenty- 
three  years  from  52.80  to  28.23  per  cent.,  nearly  fivQ  per  cent,  less 
than  the  United  States,  which  is  now  the  leading  iron  producing 
country  of  the  world. 

The  following  table  shows  the  p^g-iron  production  in  the  United 
States  for  the  past  thirty-five  years  and  the  per  cent,  of  increase  at 
stated  periods: 

Net-  tons.  Increase. 

In  1856  the  product  was     -      -      -  883,137 

In  1867  "       "         "...      1,461,626    65  pr.  ct. 

In  1878  "       "  .     .     -        2,577,361    76  pr.  ct. 

In  1889  "       "        u     .     _      _      8,516,068  238  pr.  ct. 

In  1890  <'       "  _     .     _    10,309,028    20  pr.  ct. 

This  presents  the  capabilities  and  progress  of  the  iron  industry  in 
the  United  States  in  a  degree  unprecedented  in  any  other  country 
of  the  world.  The  rate  of  increase  in  the  eleven  years  ending  in 
1889  was  more  than  three-fold  as  great  as  it  was  for  the  eleven  years 
immediately  preceding,  and  that  for  the  year  1890  was  over  twenty 
per  cent,  more  than  the  very  heavy  product  of  1889. 

Great  Britain,  France,  Germany  and  Belgium,  together  with  the 
United  States,  produced  more  than  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  entire 
iron  product  of  the  world.  In  regard  to  these  the  statistics  show 
that  neither  Great  Britain  nor  France  has  produced  as  much  in  any 
one  year  since  1882  as  it  did  in  that  year,  and  that  the  aggregate 
production  of  Germany  and  Belgium  in  any  year  since  1883  has  ex- 
ceeded^ their  aggregate  product  for  that  year  less  than  one  million 


38 


Iron. 


tons.  Since  these,  the  principal  iron  producingcountries  of  Europe, 
have  not  increased  their  production  to  any  appreciable  extent  in  the 
last  seven  years,  during  which  period  the  United  States  has  doubled 
its  production,  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  they  are  not  likely  to  increase 
it  to  any  greater  extent  in  the  future. 

The  increased  production  of  iron  in  the  United  States  for  the  year 
1889  over  the  year  1888  was  about  800,000  tons  greater  than  it  was 
in  all  the  other  countries  of  the  world,  and  notwithstanding  this 
startling  fact  the  consumption  of  iron  in  one  form  or  another  by 
the  people  of  the  United  States  during  the  year  1889  exceeded  the 
domestic  production  of  that  year  nearly  one  million  tons  It  will 
therefore  be  concluded  that  the  increased  demand  of  the  world  for 
iron  must  be  mainly,  if  not  entirely,  supplied  by  the  United  St*ates. 
In  support  of  this  conclusion,  Mr.  Edwrard  Atkinson,  in  a  paper  on 
the  future  situs  of  the  principal  iron  production  of  the  world,  says: 

"What  will  be  the  product  in  the  United  States  in  1900  as  com- 
pared to  1889  if  the  world  demands  forty  to  fifty  million  tons  of 
iron?  Where  will  it  come  froA?  Who  will  supply  it?  Will  it 
not  be  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  whole  or  more?  *  *  *  If  the  increase 
from  1890  to  1900  should  be  ten  per  cent,  per  annum  the  product  of 
the  year  1900  will  be  about  42,000,000  tons.  From  what  other  sec- 
tion of  the  earth's  surface  will  an  additional  supply  of  iron,  rated  at 
the  lowest  at  1,000,000  tons  a  year,  year  b^j  year,  and  perhaps  rising 
in  years  of  extensive  railroad  construction  to  double  or  treble,  be 
derived  ?  *  *  *  I  may  not  venture  to  say  in  this  treatise  that  the 
supremacy  in  this  branch  of  industry  has  passed  away  from  Great 
Britain,  but  the  increasing  scarcity  of  her  fine  ores,  the  increasing 
depth  of  her  coal  mines,  the  great  heat  and  difficulty  in  working 
them,  the  near  exhaustion  and  consequent  high  price  of  coking  coal 
and  the  change  in  the  condition  of  the  workmen  in  Great  Britain 
may  sustain  such  a  conclusion.  The  question  is  not,  however, 
whether  the  United  States  will  take  away  any  part  of  the  present 
iron  production  from  Great  Britain.  The  true  question  is:  Can  the 
iron  producing  countries  combined,  readily  meet  the  prospective  increase  of 
demand?'''' 

Ever  since  iron  has  been  produced  by  the  use  of  mineral  fuel  in 
this  country,  Pennsylvania  has  made  more  than  one-half  of  the  entire 
output.    Next  to  Pennsylvania,  though  far  behind  her,  the  States 


Iron. 


39 


of  Ohio,  New  York,  Illinois  and  New  Jersey  have,  until  the  last  few 
years,  been  the  principal  iron  producing  States.  These  older  pro- 
ducing States  have,  in  a  measure,  exhausted  all  their  easily  available 
ores.  They  are  obliged  to  depend  largely  upon  a  basis  of  supply 
hundreds  of  miles  from  their  furnaces.  Of  these  States,  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Ohio  are  the  only  ones  that  have  any  considerable  quan- 
tity of  both  iron  ore  and  coal  within  their  own  territory,  and  each 
of  these  States 'obtains  the  greater  part  of  its  iron  ore  supp'y  from 
the  Lake  Superior  mines,  or  by  the  importation  of  foreign  ores  on 
which  latter  they  have  to  pay  a  duty  of  seventy-five  cents  per  ton. 
Neither  New  York  nor  New  Jersey  has  any  coal,  and  Illinois  has  no 
iron  ore  within  the  State. 

In  the  growing  competition  of  the  iron  industry  and  the  lessening 
of  its  profits,  iron  must  be  made  where  the  conditions  are  most 
favorable  and  where  it  can  be  made  the  cheapest,  and  not  where  it 
is  made  at  present,  simply  because  it  has  been  made  there  hereto- 
fore to  advantage. 

Industry  must,  and  always  will,  sooner  or  later,  adjust  itself  to 
the  most  favorable  conditions.  It  finally  becomes  simply  a  question 
of  "the  survival  of  the  fittest."  The  present  state  of  the  iron  pro- 
duction in  these  older  States  is  largely  maintained  by  the  momen- 
tum of  the  great  capital  invested  in  plants  and  ways  for  transporta- 
tion in  the  centres  of  iron  making.  This  cannot  be  changed  on  a 
sudden,  but  when  competition  from  points  possessing  more  favor- 
able conditions  reduces  the  price  of  the  product  below  the  cost  of 
production,  then,  if  not  sooner,  the  change  will  be  made.  It  may 
not  be  ventured  to  assert  that  this  state  of  affairs  has  already 
arrived,  but  it  is  possible  to  believe  that  the  present  depression  in  the 
iron  industry  is  in  part,  if  not  largely,  due  to  the  persistent  efforts  of 
interested  capitalists  and  railroad  companies  to  maintain  the  major 
part  of  the  industry  at  points  where  iron  production  has  ceased  to 
be  remunerative.  If  the  capital  which  is  invested  in  plants  and 
means  of  transportation  in  the  older  iron  producing  sections  were 
transferred  to  more  favorable  localities,  iron  could  be  produced 
there  at  present  prices  at  a  fair  profit.  The  depression,  therefore,  is 
due  less  to  the  price  of  iron  than  to  the  disadvantages  and  unfavor- 
able conditions  under  which  it  is  produced. 

Three  things  are  essential  to  the  production  of  iron,  namely,  ore, 


40 


Iron. 


coal  and  limestone ;  and  these  must  be  so  situated  geographically 
as  to  be  cheaply  brought  together;  for  the  value  of  raw  material 
does  not  more  consist  in  what  it  is  than  where  it  is. 

The  "centre  of  gravity"  of  the  iron  industry  will,  sooner  or  later, 
adjust  itself  at  the  point  where  the  facilities  for  obtaining  the  raw 
material  are  the  best  and  the  cost  of  assembling  them  at  the  furnace 
is  the  least.  These  requisites,  as  we  have  seen,  do  not,  to  the  extent 
desirable,  exist  at  the  points  where  the  principal  iron  production  is 
now  and  has  heretofore  been  maintained.  The  important  inquiry 
then  presents  itself:  Are  there  any  points  within  the  United  States 
possessing  conditions  more  favorable  for  the  production  of  iron 
cheaply  ? 

In  maintaining  that  the  South  has  superior  natural  resources  for 
the  production  of  iron,  and  that  in  the  near  future  it  will  attain  an 
important,  if  not  the  controlling,  position  in  this  industry,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  assert  that  there  v\ill  be  any  immediate  decrease  in  the 
production  in  other  sections  It  is  maintained,  however,  and  the 
facts  seem  to  warrant  the  conclusion,  that  in  view  of  the  more 
favorable  natural  conditions  of  the  South,  it  is  not  probable  that 
any  important  part  of  the  ificreased  production  necessary  to  meet  the 
prospective  demand  will  be  had  in  the  older  producing  States.  It 
may,  and  probably  will  for  years,  tax  the  capabilities  of  all  points 
and  sections  within  the  United  States  to  supply,  not  only  the 
present,  but  the  enormous  prospective  demands  of  the  world. 

In  1870  the  South  produced  only  184,540  tons  of  iron;  in  1880 
she  increased  her  production  to  359,436  tons,  and  in  1890  she  made 
the  phenomenal  advance  to  1,780,909  tons,  or  over  eighteen  per 
cent,  of  the  entire  product  of  the  United  States.  This  was  an  in- 
crease of  seven  per  cent,  oi  her  relative  production  in  the  decade 
from  1880  to  1890,  thus  showing  that  the  North  and  West  fell  off 
that  much. 

The  greatest  activity  in  the  development  of  the  iron  industry  in 
the  South  during  the  last  decade  was  in  Alabama,  and  in  the  past 
few  years  it  has  been  very  great  in  Virginia.  The  increase  over 
the  production  in  1880  in  the  former  was  1,328  per  cent,  and  in  the 
latter  1,589  per  cent.  Of  the  thirty-nine  furnaces  under  construc- 
tion at  the  close  of  the  census  year  1890,  nine  were  in  Virginia  and 
seven  in  Alabama  and  only  five  in  Pennsylvania. 


Iron. 


41 


The  facts  above  stated  show  the  great  importance  that  must 
attach  to  West  Virginia  ores,  which,  though  yet  practically  unde- 
veloped, nevertheless  are  known  to  abound  in  many,  if  not  most, 
of  the  counties  of  the  State. 

At  various  times,  before  and  since  the  organization  of  the  State, 
iron  has  been  made  from  West  Virginia  ores.  Small  furnaces 
have  been  operated  in  nearly  all  the  counties  where  iron  ores  are 
found  and  in  many  counties  utensils  are  now  in  use  which  were 
made  many  years  ago  at  local  furnaces  and  foundries.  The  ores, 
in  nearly  every  instance,  produc(  d  an  excellent  article  of  iron  and 
made  the  business  profitable  while  it  lasted.  The  mountainous 
character  of  the  State,  the  absence  of  railroad  facilities  and  the 
difficulty  of  getting  articles  of  iron  into  the  country  homes 
from  far-away  markets,  was  the  necessity  which  brought  about  the 
erection  of  iron  furnaces  throughout  the  counties  of  the  State 
where  iron  ores  are  found.  They  were  operated  only  for  local  use 
and  were  necessarily  small.  When  railroads  began  to  be  built  into 
the  State  and  iron  made  at  larger  furnaces  in  older  localities  and 
with  better  facilities  began  to  be  sent  in  by  rail,  the  business  o{  the 
local  furnaces  ceased.  Gradually  they  all  closed  down,  and  now 
there  is  not  a  turnace  running  in  the  State.  But  still  the  ores  are 
here,  of  sufficient  richness  and  in  sufficient  quantities  to  be  prof- 
itably worked,  if  railroads  were  to  open  up  the  valuable  ores.  In 
nearly  all  the  counties  through  the  centre  of  the  State,  from  Monon- 
galia and  Preston  southward  clear  to  Wayne,  ores  of  greater  or  less 
value  may  be  found.  In  many  of  these  counties  iron  has  been 
made  but  the  fintst  ores,  the  richest  and  the  most,  are  found  in  the 
eastern  border  counties  along  the  Alleghany  mountains.  In  all 
these  counties  ores  abound,  of  splendid  quality  and  in  large  seams, 
but  owing  to  the  difficulty  with  which  they  can  be  reached  by  rail, 
no  development  has  ever  yet  been  made.  Just  across  the  border, 
in  Virginia,  numerous  furnaces  have  been  in  operation  making 
iron  for  years,  and  for  all  these  furnaces  the  coal  and  coke  is  taken 
from  the  West  Virginia  beds  to  use  in  making  iron.  On  this  side 
of  the  moun-tains  we  have  the  same  iron  ores  which  are  so  success- 
fully worked  in  the  old  State,  we  have  the  limestone  for  the  fluxing, 
we  have  the  finest  coking  coal  in  the  world  and  almost  at  the  mouth 
of  the  ore  pits,  so  that  iron  at  least  the  equal  of  the  Virginia  iron 


42 


Iron. 


could  be  successfully  made  in  our  own  State  and  at  a  smaller  cost 
than  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  line. 

The  Alleghany  mountains  form  the  entire  eastern  border  of  the 
State,  and  from  Jefferson  county,  in  the  north-east,  to  Mercer  and 
McDowell  on  the  south-west,  the  same  kinds  of  valuable  iron  ores 
are  found  in  great  abundance.  The  same  are  found  on  both  sides  of 
the  mountains  in  the  two  Virginias.  In  the  old  State  more  has 
been  done  toward  their  development  than  in  the  new  and  they  are 
better  known,  but  in  some  parts,  at  least,  of  the  western  State,  the 
ores  excel  those  of  the  eastern  neighbor  and  in  nearly  every  part 
are  similar  to  those  similarly  situated  across  the  border.  Professor 
Orton,  a  somewhat  noted  geologist  of  Ohio,  who  has  made  an  exam- 
ination of  the  Potts  Valley  ores,  lying  partly  in  Virginia  and 
partly  in  West  Virginia,  has  made  a  very  favorable  report  upon 
them.  As  the  greater  part  of  the  iron  ores  in  the  eastern  border 
counties  of  the  State  are  similar  to  these  described,  we  quote  from 
Professor  Orton  to  give  a  general  idea  of  the  ores  of  the  Alleghany 
counties  of  the  State.    He  says: 

"The  Oriskany  ore  is  in  all  cases  a  hydrated  peroxide  or  limonite, 
popularly  known  as  brown  hematite.  *  *  Potts  Creek  ores, 
which  I  sampled  in  the  field  and  the  analyses  of  which  have  just 
been  completed  by  Prof.  N.  W.  Lord,  Chemist  of  the  State  Geolog- 
ical Survey  of  Ohio,  show  the  composition  given  below,  the  samples 
having  been  selected  from  eight  different  points  in  the  ore  field, 
numbered,  respectivel}^,  from  one  to  eight. 

1       2        3        4       5        6        7  8 
Iron     -       -       49.90  50.03  51.94  50.00  49.90  49.90  55.50  56.00 
Silica        -     -     11.61  13.26  10.15    9.67  15.76  12.05    4.45  10.69 
Manganese,  -  .18     .11     .14    2.96     .39     .25     .29  .09 

Phosphorus      -     1.64    2.78     .65      .68     .18     .95    1.07  .18 

"The  average  of  the  eight  is  as  follows:  Iron,  51.70;  Silica,  10. 95; 
Manganese,  .55;  Phosphorus,  70. 

"In  regard  to  these  results  it  remains  to  be  said  that  so  far  as  the 
first  three  elements  are  concerned  we  have  nothing  to  ask.  The  Potts 
Creek  ores  will  certainly  give  ^  larger  yield  of  iro7i  than  any  of  the 
Oriskany  ores  now  worked  in  Virginia.  They  can  be  depended  upon 
for  nearly  fifty  per  cent,  of  iron.  One  sample  is  seen  to  contain  an 
exceptional  amount  of  manganese,  but  even  this  is  scarcely  outside 


Iron.  43 

the  allowable  limits.  In  any  case,  it  would  be  easy  to  exclude  this 
phase  of  the  ore  in  mining. 

"There  remains  to  be  considered  the  last  of  the  constituents  re- 
ported in  our  analyses,  viz.,  phosphorus.  It  would  be  too  much  to 
expect  that  all  possible  advantages  should  be  concentrated  in  a 
single  district,  and  accordingly  we  find  by  examination  of  the  fore- 
going analyses  that  some  of  the  Potts  Creek  ores  run  higher  in 
phosphorus  than  is  to  be  desired.  Excluding,  however,  a  single 
sample  (No.  2)  from  the  list  above  given,  the  average  of  the  seven 
remaining  samples  is  .574. 

"When  account  is  taken  of  the  high  percentage  of  iron  that  these 
ores  carry,  it  is  obvious  that  they  must  come  within  the  limits  of 
acceptance.    *  * 

"I  must  not  fail  to  call  attention  to  the  splendid  showing  of 
the  Upper  Bennett  bank  (No.  8)  in  the  table  of  analyses.  T/ie  finest 
outcrop  of  if  row  ?i  hematite  in  Virginia  is  at  the  same  time  the  richest  and 
purest  ore  of  its  class ^ 

Of  the  same  ores  Prof.  A.  S.  McCreath,  a  Pennsylvania  geologist, 
says: 

"These  ores  may  be  classed  as  Brown  Hematite,  which  are  hy- 
drated  oxides  of  iron.  But  the  proportion  of  chemically  combined 
water  varies  considerably,  and  they  may  be  said  to  vary  between 
the  extremes  of  a  true  Limonite  with  14.40  per  cent,  combined 
water,  and  Red  Hematite  with  theoretically  no  combined  water.  So 
far  as  the  percentage  of  iron  is  concerned,  the  ores  are  all  of  high  grade , 
and  many  of  them  equal  the  very  best  brown  ores  that  are  minedT 

The  ores  thus  described  in  the  pamphlet  above  referred  to  lie  in 
the  counties  along  the  southern  border  of  West  Virginia,  while 
northward  through  all  the  border  counties  of  the  State  the  same  va- 
rieties of  ore  may  generally  be  found.  In  subsequent  portions  of 
this  work  where  the  counties  are  taken  up  separately  and  described, 
more  full  descriptions  of  the  iron  ores  of  those  localities  will  be 
found.  The  red  fossililerous  ore,  which  is  found  in  large  deposits 
in  some  of  the  north-eastern  counties,  is  a  valuable  ore,  comparing 
most  favorably  with  the  ores  of  more  successful  and  more  noted 
iron  regions  of  the  country. 

While  most  of  the  best  and  most  valuable  iron  ores  are  found 
along  the  eastern  border  of  the  State,  they  are  not  all  found  there. 


44  Iron. 

for  to  the  westward  throughout  most  of  the  counties  of  the  State 
ores  of  greater  or  less  value  are  to  be  found.  The  western  border 
counties  do  not  seem  to  have  much  iron,  but  through  the  center  of 
the  State  to  the  eastward  the  ores  are  plentifully  scattered.  Through 
the  central  part  of  the  State  in  the  coal  measures  two  kinds  of  ores 
are  found — carbonates  of  iron  and  black  band  ores.  Speaking  of 
the  former,  Prof.  M.  F.  Maury  says:  "Under  this  head  may  also  be 
classed  the  brown  hematites  of  the  coal  measures,  as  they  are  merely 
the  results  of  the  decomposition  of  the  carbonates,  and  in  fact,  when 
a  seam  of  the  former  is  discovered,  we  may  expect  it  to  turn  into 
the  latter  as  soon  as  w^e  go  far  enough  under  ground  to  get  beyond 
atmospheric  influences. 

"We  see  the  result  of  this  decomposition  in  the  pieces  of  Brown 
Oxide  that  are  found  on  the  hills  in  every  portion  of  the  State. 
These  have  led  to  many  erroneous  ideas  as  to  the  richness  of  certain 
localities  in  this  mineral,  which  came  originally  from  Mie  carbon- 
ates of  iron  existing  in  the  beds  that  were  once  superimposed  upoii.  y 
the  present  strata,  and  have  long  since  been  worn  away  by  erosion.^' 
As  this  took  place,  the  lighter  materials  were  washed  ofi' by  the  cur 
rents,  while  the  heavier  ore  settled  down  and  was  left  resting  on  our 
hill  sides.  Sometimes  a  great  deal  was  deposited  in  one  place,  and 
the  soil  is  full  of  it,  while  in  others  but  a  single  lump  was  left,  and 
hence  it  is  that  on  many  of  our  mountains  we  find  the  'blossom'  of 
good  ore,  and  yet  have  no  bed  of  it  near  by." 

Of  the  black  band  ore,  a  very  valuable  ore,  found  in  the  central 
to  the  south-western  part  of  the  State,  principally  south  of  the  Great 
Kanawha  river.  Prof.  Maury  says  : 

"This  is  nothing  more  than  a  carbonate  of  iron,  of  a  more  or  less 
black  color,  by  reason  of  an  admixture  of  bituminous  matter.  So 
far  as  yet  known,  it  is  confined  entirely  to  the  southern  part  of  the 
State,  where  it  has  been  discovered  only  within  the  last  few  years. 
From  the  fact  of  its  very  often  resembling  black  slate  in  its  struc- 
ture, it  may  often  have  been  passed  over  unnoticed,  and  careful 
search  will  no  doubt  show  it  in  many  places,  where  it  is  not  now 
suspected. 

"It  is  a  class  of  material  that  makes  an  excellent  iron,  and  from 
which  much  of  the  celebrated  Scotch-pig  is  smelted.  It  possesses 
an  especial  value,  from  the  fact  that,  in  many  cases,  a  low  grade  ore 


Iron.  45 

can  be  roasted  into  a  higher  grade.  For  instance  take  that  from 
Davis  Creek,  in  Kanawha  county.  When  mined,  it  contains  33  per 
cent,  of  metallic  iron,  and  26  per  cent,  of  carbonaceous  matter.  By 
piling  it  in  heaps,  and  setting  fire  thereto,  the  carbonaceous  matter 
is  burnt  out,  and  in  the  process  of  combustion,  generates  enough 
heat  to  convert  the  carbonate  of  iron  in  the  ore  into  a  richer  oxide, 
so  that  the  mass,  after  being  thus  roasted,  analyzes  65  per  cent,  of 
metallic  iron. 

"Unfortunately,  we  can  never  reckon  or  depend  upon  any  seam 
of  it  continuing  of  a  uniform  value,  for  in  one  place  it  will  contain 
an  ore  well  worth  working,  while  half  a  mile  off  it  may  become  so 
mixed  with  slate  or  earthy  impurities  as  to  be  utterly  valueless. 
As  an  example :  On  Bell  creek,  Fayette  county,  an  excellent  bed 
about  4  feet  thick  was  found  by  Mr.  L.  Bemelmans,  of  Charleston. 
Some  2  or  3  miles  from  this  place,  up  a  ravine  a  short  distance  be- 
low the  mouth  of  Bell,  the  same  seam  showed  only  12  to  14  inches 
of  the  good  material,  while  on  Little  Elk  run,  of  Gauley  river,  some 
three  miles  to  the  north,  the  results  of  two  analyses  from  the  same 
seam  gave  only  5  and  7  per  cent,  respectively  of  metallic  iron.  If 
we  search  for  it  in  another  direction,  it  may  open  to  a  very  valuable 
deposit.  From  this  irregularity  and  from  the  fact  that  it  has  been 
well  proven  in  this  field,  it  will  be  readily  understood  that  careful 
search  may  find  it  in  many  places  where  it  has  never  yet  been  no- 
ticed, and  wherever  it  is  found  in  workable  quantity  its  presence 
adds  great  value  to  the  land." 

Otto  Wuth,  of  Pittsburg,  who  made  an  analysis  of  some  black 
band  ore  found  in  Kanawha  county,  says :  "Thoroughly  roa^^ted,  it 
would  then  contain  about  65  per  cent,  of  metallic  iron,  while  there 
is  more  than  enough  carbonaceous  matter  to  roast  it.  I  consider  it 
a  black  band  ore  ol  the  first  quality." 

Analyses  of  the  iron  ores  taken  from  various  counties  of  the  State 
will  be  shown  in  the  following  table : 


46 


Iron. 


7>- 

d 
3 
_o 

Metallic 
Iron . 

Phosphorus. 

Sulphur. 

Siiioa. 

Manganese. 

AUTHORITY . 

Mineral 

38.43 

Prof.  W.  H.  Rogers 

" 

and 

84.29 

Grant 

38 . 28 

" 

33. 17 

" 

Preston 

44.43 

" 

" 

39 . 87 

" 

4(3  67 

24  96 

Average  of  vari  1 

32 . 52 

0. 66 

0.13 

u 

ous  S:iraples.  \ 

Monongalia 

3 1 . 86 

0.23 

0.  15 

0.  E.  Dwight. 

34.  69 

0.31 

0. 12 

49.69 

0. 19 

0. 13 

41.  94 

O.IG 

0. 20 

41  35 

0.87 

0.30 

40.71 

0.27 

0.22 

30.  24 

0.30 

0.33 

" 

44.  95 

Prof.  Rogers. 

43.04 

" 

Taylor 

38.  91 

0.  29 

0  05 

C.  E.  Dwight. 

" 

35  98 

0. 20 

0  48 

39. 10 

0. 23 

0  42 

Brown  Hematite.. 

Raleigh 

55.  54 

0.  81 

0  35 

Kossil  

Greenl)rier 

52.23 

J.-B.  Brittou. 

Pipe  

61 .75 

Hematite  

57. 17 

Hlulf  Ore  

36  69 

IJrown  Hematite.. 

44  42 

.13 

.73 

C  E.  Dwight. 

Red  i^'ossiliferou.s. 

56  23 

58 

42 

56  58 

.012 

.169 

Red  b'ossiliferous. 

Hardy 
" 

59  36 

.69 

04 

Red  Hematitp 

51.09 

;o5 

'.03 

Itrou  n  Hematite. 

62  01 

.16 

.04 

lied  Kc^ssiliferous 

Grant 

52.  52 

.88 

.09 

II 

Hrowu  Hematite.. 

Hampshire 

51.47 

.10 

.48 

52.67 

.03 

.82 

Monroti 

58.83 

0. 44 

2.  82 

0.21 

Hy.  Froehling. 

58.40 

0.71 

3.60 

0  74 

48.50 

1.02 

17.67 

0.27 

57.11 

0.71 

6.23 

0.08 

u 

51.95 

0.59 

14.85 

50.22 

1.04 

15.  34 

0.14 

45  92 

U.66 

21  .20 

0.  10 

52.09 

1.25 

12.74 

0.11 

.51.80 

1.06 

13  02 

0.10 

Pendleton 

57.10 

.438 

3.  64 

W.  H.  Boggs. 

Red  Fossililerous. 

55.15 

.  542 

7.31 

Manganetio  

.588 

.292 

19.11 

40.78 

Coke. 


47 


COKE, 


Analyses  and  tests  show  that  the  coke  of  West  Virginia  is  superior 
to  that  of  Pennsylvania,  which  for  so  long  a  time  held  the  highest 
place  in  the  markets  of  the  United  States.  Statistics  show  that 
there  is  more  coking  coal  in  West  Virginia,  many  times  over,  than 
there  is  in  Pennsylvania,  and  that  in  the  production  of  coke  West 
Virginia  ranks  next  to  Pennsylvania.  With  the  best  coking  coal 
in  the  United  States,  if  not  in  the  world,  and  more  of  it  than  in  any 
other  State,  and  with  a  rapidly  growing  demand  for  coke,  the  fact 
is  readily  seen  that  West  Virginia  must  soon  become  one  of  the 
greatest  coke  making  centers  in  the  world.  Ah-eady  there  are  no 
less  than  four  large  coking  districts  in  the  State  in  active  operation, 
producing  annually  enough  coke  to  make  the  State  even  now  among 
the  largest  coke  producing  States  of  the  Union.  But  few  years  ago 
the  production  was  almost  nothing.  Last  year  the  State  produced 
almost  a  million  and  a  half  tons  of  coke.  The  growth  of  the  coke- 
making  industry  in  the  last  twelve  years  is  shown  in  the  following 
table : 


YEARS. 


631 
689 
878 
962 
1,00,5 
1,078 
1,154 
S,080 
2,137 
2,4.53 
3,442 
4,117 
.5,490 


40 
189 

84 

43 
127 

63 
317 
442 

68 
142 
184 


206, 
272, 
321, 
360, 
385, 
41,5, 
425, 
698, 
786. 
562. 

1,377. 

1,899. 

2,011, 


121. 
16i: 
202, 
225. 
228. 
260. 
264: 
i42. 
499, 
360, 
892, 
1,238 
1,313 


BO 


318,797 
429,.57] 
520,437 
563,490 
425,952 
485,188 
513,843 
976,732 


0  . 

1  =eEH 


2  30 
2  26 
2  19 
1  91 
1 

1  94 

2  21 


o  c 


60.0 

61.0 

63  0 

63.0 

62.0 

63.0 

62.0 

63.3 

63.6 

64.1 

&i.S 

65.21 

65  29 


48 


(%)KE. 


The  regions  of  the  State  which  now  produce  the  greatest 'amount 
of  coke  each  year  are  those  along  the  Monongahela  river  near  Fair- 
mont, where  the  Pennsylvania  coal  fields  extend  up  into  West  Vir- 
ginia, and  where  last  year  a  quarter  of  a  million  tons  were  made; 
the  great  New  River  and  Upper  Kanawha  district,  which  extends 
for  nearly  a  hundred  miles  south-east  from  Charleston,  and  last  year 
produced  682,527  tons  of  coke;  and  the  Pocahontas  region,  in  the 
extreme  south  of  the  State,  yielding  in  the  last  year  from  Mercer 
and  McDowell  counties  282,687  tons.  It  is  in  this  latter  region  that 
the  increase  is  now  most  rapid. 

The  table  just  preceding  shows  a  marked  and  constant  increase 
in  the  percentage  of  coke  yielded  l)y  the  coals.  .  Thi,^  is  due  to  the 
improved  methods  constantly  being  adopted  in  its  manufacture. 
Many  and  valuable  have  been  the  improvements  in  the  method  of 
making  coke  since  first  it  became  an  important  industry  in  the 
State,  and  now  the  figures  show  that  in  its  making  but  little  over  a 
third  of  the  coal  is  lost  or  wasted.  In  fact  the  refuse  is  put  to  use 
and  very  little  of  the  whole  is  lost  except  the  smoke.  Wherever 
proper  coals  are  found  coke  making  proves  more  profitable  than  the 
sale  of  coal,  and  now  there  are  some  6,000  coke  ovens  in  blast  in 
the  State,  giving  employment  to  over  1,500  men,  besides  those  who 
get  out  the  coal  which  goes  to  make  the  coke.  Long  rows  of  blazing 
ovens,  shedding  their  lurid  light  the  landscape  o'er,  line  almost 
every  railroad  track  that  passes  through  the  State  and  pour  their 
clouds  of  smoke  on  high  to  hide  the  mountain  tops  and  dim  the 
sky. 

In  high  percentage  of  fixed  carbon,  low  percentages  of  ash  and 
sulphur,  and  freedom  from  water  and  phosphorus  the  cokes  of  West 
Virginia  stand  pre-eminent. 

A  previous  chapter  shows  the  extent  and  distribution  of  the 
coking  coals  of  West  Virginia,  and  the  following  table  wUl  show 
the  analyses  of  the  cokes  now  made  in  different  sections  of  the 
State,  as  compared  with  those  made  in  other  States  and  foreign 
countries: 


Coke. 


49 


COLLIERY 


Codar  Grove  

Mast  liank  

Powellton  

tireat  Kauawha.. 

Crescent  

Ea^ie  aud  j 
St.  Clair.     i  ••• 

NuttalJburg  

Edlio  

Capffton  

Fire  Creek  

Stone  Cliff  

Quinuimont  

Echo  

Pocahontas  

Pocahontas  No.  3 
Stephenson  / 
aud  M oilier  f 

Clements  

Montana  , 

Monon»ah  , 

Austen  

Davis  

Tliomas  

Bradford  / 
Caperton  f 

Seymour  

Holmes  tt  Uro  

Pratt  lied  

Dade  Mines  

Etna  "   

Hromney  

Mous   

Westphalia  


c 

.2 

0 

4) 

rt 
o 
o 

a- 

ij 

Kanawha 

95 

02 

4 

40 

89 

95 

9 

13 

Eayette 

93 

25 

1 

50 

.5 

15 

1 .10 

95 

86 

3 

62 

90 

31 

1 

77 

92 

90 

48 

9 

00 

93 

00 

(3 

76 

97 

71 

0 

14 

86 

0.29 

94 

62 

0 

21 

4 

91 

0^23 

91 

94 

0 

49 

(5 

92 

0.10 

89 

66 

2 

68 

(5 

60 

0.06 

93 

85 

85 

92 

73 

0 

71 

5 

15 

1.41 

Mercer  and  I 
McDowell  f 

92 

58 

0 

49 

6 

04 

0.19 

92 

21 

0 

71 

28 

0. 18 

92 

81 

1 

05 

4 

91 

0.  66 

ISrariou 

67 

50 

11 

00 

0.30 

89 

85 

90 

8 

40 

.76 

91 

08 

1 

85 

6 

17 

.24 

Preston 

87 

98 

11 

57 

0.45 

Tucker 

90 

60 

1 

49 

6 

96 

.  18 

" 

90 

05 

1 

16 

7 

94 

.  15 

Connellsville 

89 

57 

9 

11 

Peiins^'l  vania 

89 

15 

9 

65 

Blossburs,  I'a. 

84 

76 

13 

84 

Beaver  Co., Pa. 

84 

12 

63 

A  hibama 

88 

87 

0 

75 

8 

99 

0.19 

Georgia 

75 

91 

1 

09 

21 

75 

0  54 

Tennessee 

85 

45 

1 

10 

11 

08 

0.85 

J^n^'land 

91 

58 

6 

86 

Helijinm 

91 

30 

6 

20 

Germany 

85 

06 

0 

40 

0.58 
0.378 

0.51 
0.59 

0.50 

0.27 
0.56 
0.54 
0.53 
0.66 
0  30 
0.58 

0.67 

0.56 

0.54 

1.20 
0.82 


.70 
.82 
1.20 
.998 
1.99 
1.18 
0.67 
1.45 


AUTHORITY 


M.  A.  Scoville. 


Hy.  Froehling'. 
A.  S.  McCreaih. 
J.  \V.  Mailett 

i'orter  and  Going. 

C.  E.  DwiKht. 
J.  li  Hritton. 

A.  S.  McCn-alh. 
Heavier  iV  \V  i(;kham. 
,1.  H.  Brittoii. 
lleager  it  Wickham.  ' 

McCreath  aud  d'Invilliers. 


A.  S.  McCreath. 


P.  B.  Wilson. 


J.  W.  Powell. 

A.  S.  McCreath. 

B.  (.  rowther. 

A.  S.  McCreath. 

McCreath  and  d'Invilliers. 


Bell. 

DeMaisilly. 
M  ueck. 


50 


Kducation. 


EDUCATION. 


BY  U.  S.  MORGAN,  EX-bTATE   SUPERINTENDENT  OF  FREE  SCHOOLS. 

The  educational  advantages  offered  by  the  State  comprise  an  ex- 
cellent system  of  pubhc  schools,  six  State  Normal  schools,  a  State 
University,  an  institution  for  the  higher  education  of  the  colored 
people,  a  reform  school,  a  school  for  the  Deaf  and  the  Blind,  and  nu- 
merous private  and  denominational  institutions. 

FREE  SCHOOLS. 

The  people  of  West  Virginia  have  always  manifested  a  deep  in- 
terest in  public  education,  and  long  before  the  organization  of  the 
State,  a  number  of  counties  under  special  acts  of  the  mother  State 
had  established  systems  of  free  schools. 

The  present  efficient  system  of  public  schools  rests  upon  the  fol- 
lowing constitutional  requirement:  "The  legislature  shall  provide 
by  general  law  for  a  thorough  and  efficient  system  of  free  schools." 
The  Constitution,  however,  does  not  limit  the  State  in  its  encour- 
agement of  education  to  a  system  of  free  schools,  but  requires  the 
Legislature  "to  foster  and  encourage  moral,  intellectual,  scientific 
and  agricultural  imprr^vement,  and  when  it  may  be  practicable,  to 
make  suitable  provision  for  the  blind,  mute  and  insane,  and  organize 
such  institutions  of  learning  as  the  best  interests  of  general  educa- 
tion in  the  State  may  demand."  That  these  requirements  have  also 
been  met  by  the  Legislature  in  a  spirit  of  liberality^  will  appear 
from  the  ample  provisions  made  for  higher  education  in  the  Normal 
schools  and  the  State  University,  the  State  Reform  School,  and  the 


Education. 


51 


institutions  for  the  education  of  the  deaf,  dumb  and  blind,  and  for 
the  care  of  the  insane. 

The  law  establishing  the  free  school  system  was  passed  December 
10,  1863,  and  was  put  into  operation  just  as  rapidly  as  practicable. 
The  system  has  steadily  grown  in  popularity  and  increased  in  effi- 
ciency until  it  will  compare  very  favorably  with  those  long  in  op- 
eration in  the  older  States. 

The  law  was  re-enacted  in  1873,  with  such  improvements  as  the 
practical  working  of  the  system  had  indica'ed  to  be  necessar}^ ;  and 
this  law,  with  some  slight  amendments  made  from  time  to  time, 
constitutes  the  present  school  law. 

ADMINISTRATION  AND  PLAN  OF  SYSTEM. 

In  the  organization  of  the  free  school  system  the  existing  political 
divisions  have  been  used  as  far  as  practicable.  Every  magisterial 
district  in  each  county  is  made  a  school  district,  which  is  divided 
into  as  many  sub-districts  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  convenience 
of  the  schools  therein. 

The  regular  civil,  county  and  State  officers  collect  and  in  part 
disburse  the  school  revenues. 

The  officers  charged  with  the  administration  of  the  free  school 
system  are  : 

(1.)  District  boards  of  education. 

(2.)  Sub-district  trustees. 

(3  )  A  county  superintendent  of  free  schools. 

(4.)  A  State  superintendent  of  free  schools. 

The  general  control  of  the  schools  of  each  district  is  placed  in 
the  hands  of  a  board  of  education,  composed  ot  a  president  and 
two  commissioners  elected  by  the  people,  which  is  made  a  corpora- 
tion capable  of  suing  and  being  sued,  of  contracting  for  and  buying 
and  selling  property  for  the  school  purposes  of  the  district.  The 
school  year  begins  the  first  of  July,  and  the  board  is  required  to 
hold  its  first  meeting  on  the  first  Monday  in  July. 

The  principal  duties  of  the  board  are  to  lay  the  school  levies,  deter- 
mine the  number  of  sub-districts,  locate  and  build  the  school  houses, 
supply  them  with  furniture  and  appliances,  fix  the  salaries  ot 
teachers,  transact  the  financial  interests  of  the  district  and  exercise 


52 


Edctcation. 


a  general  supervision  over  all  the  educational  interests  of  the  district. 

The  trustees  of  each  su])-district  serve  tliree  years  and  are  ap- 
pointed by  the  boards  of  education.  Th^y  have  charge  of  the 
school  or  schools  in  their  respective  sub-districts,  appoint  the  teach- 
ers, purchase  fuel,  see  that  the  school  house  is  kept  in  repair  and 
proper  condition  and  exercise  immediate  control  over  the  educa- 
tional interests  of  the  sub-district. 

The  county  superintendent,  who  is  required  to  be  a  person  of 
temperate  habits,  and  skill  and  experience  in  the  art  of  teaching,  is 
elected  })y  the  people  and  serves  for  a  term  of  two  years.  His 
duties  are  to  distribute  the  State  school  fund  to  the  several  districts, 
distribute  the  school  blanks  to  boards  of  education,  encourage  and 
attend  county  institutes,  to  act  as  president  of  the  county  board  of 
examiners,  and  keep  a  register  of  teachers  certificates,  visit  the 
schools  of  his  county  at  least  once  each  year,  and  report  the  condi- 
tion of  the  schools  to  the  State  Superintendent. 

The  State  Superintendent  is  elected  by  the  people,  and  serves  for 
a  term  of  four  years,  and  is  required  to  reside  at  the  capital.  The 
la,w  requires  that  he  shall  be  "ot  good  moral  character,  of  temperate 
habits,  of  literary  acquirements  and  skill  and  experience  in  the  art 
of  teaching."  He  receives  a  salary  of  $1,500,  paid  out  of  the  general 
school  fund.  He  exercises  a  general  supervision  over  the  free  school 
system  and  is  charged  with  the  preparation  and  distribution  of  all 
school  blanks,  the  apportionment  of  the  State  school  fund,  and  the 
organization  of  teachers'  institutes.  It  is  his  duty  also  to  collect 
the  school  statistics  and  make  an  annual  report  to  the  Governor  of 
.the  condition  of  the  school  system. 

There  is  a  County  Board  of  Examiners  lor  each  county,  composed 
of  two  experienced  teachers  appointed  by  the  presidents  of  the  dis- 
trict boards  of  education,  at  a  meeting  held  for  that  purpose  in  Jul}^ 
of  each  year,  and  the  county  superintendent,  who  is  ex-oflicio  pres- 
ident of  the  board,  which  is  authorized  to  issue  three  grades  of 
teachers'  certificates.  The  first  grade  is  valid  for  a  period  of  four 
years,  the  second  grade  for  two  years,  and  the  third  grade  for  one 
year. 

There  is  also  a  State  Board  of  Examiners,  consisting  of  four  com- 
petent teachers  ap})()inted  by  the  State  Superintendent,  which  is  au- 
thorized to  issue  two  grades  of  certificates,  valid  throughout  the 


Education. 


53 


State,  the  first  grade  being  granted  for  a  period  of  twelve  years,  and 
the  second  grade  for  a  period  of  six. 

No  person  is  authorized  to  teach  under  the  general  school  law, 
who  has  not  been  licensed  by  one  of  these  boards. 

REVENUES  FOR  THE  SUPPORT  OF  THE  FREE  SCHOOL  SYSTEM. 

The  Constitution  has  made  the  following  provision  lor  the  crea- 
tion and  management  of  an  invested  or  permanent  school  fund: 
"The  existing  permanent  and  invested  school  fund,  and  all  money 
accruing  to  this  State  from  forfeited,  delinquent,  waste  and  unap- 
propriated lands;  and  from  lands  heretofore  sold  for  taxes  and  pur- 
chased by  the  State  of  Virginia,  if  hereafter  redeemed  or  sold  to  other 
than  this  State ;  all  grants,  devises  or  bequests  that  may  be  made  to 
this  State  for  the  purposes  of  education  orwhere  the  purposes  of  such 
grants,  devises  or  bequests  are  not  specified;  this  State's  just  share 
of  the  literary  fund  of  Virginia,  whether  paid  over  or  otherwise  liq- 
uidated ;  and  any  sums  of  money,  stocks  or  property  which  this 
State  shall  have  the  right  to  claim  from  the  State  of  Virginia  for  ed- 
ucational purposes;  the  proceeds  of  the  estates  of  persons  who  may 
die  without  leaving  will  or  heir,  and  of  all  escheated  lands;  the  pro- 
ceeds of  any  taxes  that  may  be  levied  on  the  revenues  of  any  cor 
porations;  all  moneys  that  may  be  paid  as  an  equivalent  for  exemp- 
tion from  military  duty ;  and  such  sums  as  may  from  time  to  time 
be  appropriated  by  the  Legislature  for  the  purpose,  shall  be  set  apart 
as  a  separate  fund,  to  be  called  the  "School  Fund"  and  invested 
under  such  regulations  as  maybe  prescribed  by  law,  in  the  interest- 
bearing  securities  of  the  United  States,  or  of  this  State,  or  if  such 
interest-bearing  securities  can  not  be  obtained,  then  said  "School 
Fund"  shall  be  invested  in  such  other  solvent  interest-bearing  se- 
curities as  shall  be  approved  by  the  Governor,  Superintendent  of 
Free  Schools,  Auditor  and  Treasurer,  who  are  hereby  constituted 
the  "Board  of  the  School  Fund,"  to  manage  the  same  under  such 
regulations  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law;  and  the  interest  thereof 
shall  be  annually  applied  to  the  support  of  free  schools  throughout 
the  State,  and  to  no  other  purpose  whatever.  But  any  portion  of 
said  interest  remaining  unexpended  at  the  close  of  a  fiscal  year  shall 
be  applied  to  and  remain  a  part  of  the  capital  of  the  "School  Fund:" 
Fi'ovided,  that  all  taxes  which  shall  be  received  by  the  State  upon 


54 


Education. 


delinquent  lands,  except  the  taxes  due  to  the  State  thereon,  shall  be 
refunded  to  the  county  or  district  by  or  for  which  the  same  were 
levied." 

The  constitution  also  requires  that  "the  Legislature  shall  provide 
for  the  support  of  free  schools,  by  appropriating  thereto  the  interest 
of  the  invested  "School  Fund,"  the  net  proceeds  ot  all  forfeitures 
and  fines  accruing  to  this  State  urder  the  laws  thereof;  the  State 
capitation  tax,  and  by  general  taxation  of  persons  and  property  or 
otherwise.  It  shall  also  provide  for  raising  in  each  county  or  dis- 
trict, by  the  authority  of  the  people  thereof,  such  a  proportion  of 
the  amount  required  for  the  support  of  free  schools  therein  as  shall 
be  prescribed  by  general  laws." 

In  carrying  out  this  provision  the  school  law  provides  "that  for 
the  support  of  free  schools  there  shall  be  a  State  tax  levied  annually, 
of  ten  cents  on  the  100  dollars  valuation  of  all  real  and  personal 
pro})erty  of  the  State,"  which  with  the  interest  on  the  school  fund, 
and  the  amounts  received  from  capitations,  forfeitures  and  fines, 
form  the  State  fund  which  is  annually  distributed  to  the  several 
counties. 

The  school  law  also  provides  that  district  boards,  of  education 
"Shall  annually  levy  by  the  authority  of  the  people  such  a  tax  on 
the  pr(<perty  taxable  in  the  district,  as  will,  with  the  money  re- 
ceived from  the  State,  l)e  sulhcient  to  keep  such  schools  in  operation 
at  least  four  months  in  the  year;  provided  the  said  tax  in  any  year 
shall  not  exceed  the  amount  of  fifty  cents  on  every  one  hundred 
dollars  valuation.  The  amount  of  this  levy  and  the  fund  received 
from  the  State  tax  constitute  the  "Teachers'  Fund,"  and  is  used 
only  in  paying  teacher's  salaries. 

To  provide  school  houses,  grounds,  furniture,  fuel,  &c.,  &c. ,  the 
district  boards  are  required  to  lay  an  annual  levy  not  to  exceed 
forty  cents  on  the  one  hu  dred  dollars  valuation  of  all  property. 
The  amount  secured  by  this  levy  constitutes  a  "Building  Fund," 
and  can  be  used  only  for  those  purposes  named  above. 

The  school  law  has  made  provision  for  three  grades  of  freeschools, 
primary,  graded  and  high  schools.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  board  of 
education  to  establish  at  least  one  primary  school  in  every  sub-dis- 
trict. Graded  schools  may  be  established  by  the  board  on  its  own 
authority  in  towns,  villages  and  densely  populated  neighborhoods; 


Education. 


55 


but  before  a  public  high  school  can  be  established,  the  ([uestion 
must  be  submitted  to  a  voite  of  the  people  and  receive  not  less  than 
three-fifths  of  the  votes  cast.  The  number  of  schools  of  all  classes 
reported  in  the  State  Superintendent's  report  for  the  year  ending 
June       1892,  was  5,1G7. 

In  the  primary  and  graded  schools  the  branches  of  learning  required 
to  be  taught  are,  orthography,  reading,  penmanship,  arithmetic, 
English  grammar,  history,  geogrnphy,  physiology,  single  entry  book- 
keeping and  civil  government.  These  branches  dre  arranged  in  a 
graded  course  of  study,  which  prescribes  the  order  in  which  the  sev- 
eral branches  shall  be  taken  up  and  studic^d,  and  the  time  to  be  de- 
voted to  them  respectively,  with  provision  for  advancement  from 
class  to  class,  also  for  examination  and  graduaiion  of  all  pupils  who 
satisfactorily  complete  the  prescribed  course.  This  course  of  study 
is  accompanied  by  a  manual  of  instruction  prepared  by  the  State 
Superintendent,  which  is  intended  for  the  general  guidance  of  the 
teacher  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties. 

The  schocl  law  seeks  to  secure  proper  moral  instruction,  and  "all 
teachers,  boards  of  education,  and  other  school  officers  are  charged 
with  the  duty  of  providing  that  moral  training  for  the  j^outh  which 
will  contribute  to  securing  good  behavior  and  manners,  and  furnish 
the  State  with  exemplary  citizens." 

SPECIAL  OR  INDEPENDENT  SCHOOL  D ISTRICTS, 

Under  special  acts  of  the  Legislature  the  larger  towns  of  the  State 
have  been  cut  off  into  separate  districts,  and  made  independent  for 
school  purposes  of  the  magisterial  district  or  districts  of  which  the}^ 
formed  a  part.  This  course  has  been  found  necessary  in  order  to 
provide  these  rapidly  growing  towns  with  adequate  educational  fa- 
cilities. 

As  early  as  1849  the  city  of  Wheeling  was  made  an  independent 
school  district,  and  was  continued  as*feuch  when  the  first  free  school 
law  was  passed  by  the  State.  Since  the  organization  of  the  free 
school  system  forty-five  more  special  districts  have  been  established, 
and  under  the  larger  powers  granted  them  for  taxation  and  other 
school  purposes  these  districts  have  been  enabled  to  build  splendid 
modern  school  buildings  and  provide  in  addition  to  primary,  thor- 
ough graded  and  high  school  facilities. 


56 


Education. 


Among  the  towns  that  may  be  noted  as  having  made  special  ad- 
vancement in  the  improvement  of  their  public  schools,  are  Wheel- 
ing, Parkersburg,  Huntington,  Charleston,  Martinsburg,  Fairmont, 
Clarksburg,  Grafton,  Wellsburg,  Moundsville,  Morgantown,  Pied- 
mont, Keyser  and  Bnckbannon. 

No  other  State  has  made  a  more  marked  public  school  growth  than 
West  Virginia.  Beginning  with  133  school  houses  and  387  teachers 
in  1865,  the  State  Superintendent's  report  for  1892,  shows  a  total  of 
5,004  houses,  and  5,747  teachers.  The  total  value  of  school  prop- 
erty in  1865  was  $52,856,  and  in  1892  it  was  $2,746,234. 

The  average  school  term  throughout  the  State  for  1892,  was  five 
months  and  a  half.  The  statistical  tables  appended  hereto,  com- 
piled from  the  latest  report  of  the  State  Superintendent,  (1892),  show 
the  most  important  statistics  connected  with  the  history  of  the  free 
school  system,  since  its  organization,  such  as  the  enumeration,  en- 
rollment, and  daily  average  attendance  of  school  youth,  for  each 
year,  the  number  of  schools  and  school  houses,  the  value  of  school 
property,  the  amounts  of  the  general  and  invested  school  fund  each 
year,  and  the  amount  expended  each  year  on  building  fund  and 
teachers  fund.  These  tables  make  a  record  of  progress  of  which 
any  people  might  justly  be  proud. 


Education. 


57 


YEA.R. 


18fin. 
186G 
18(57 
1868. 
18(59. 
1870. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
J  876. 
1877. 
1878. 
1879. 
1880. 
1881. 
1882 
1883. 
1881. 
1885. 
1886. 
1887. 
1888. 
1889. 
1890. 
1891. 
1892. 


3 

M  to 


1,517 
1,8-,'n 


310 
356 


2,631 
3.124 


361 

363 

305 

370 

375 

378 

37 

378 

374 

371 

384 

383 

37< 

378 


3.383 
3,529 


3,779 
3,855 
3,887 
4,035 
4,142 
4,288 
4.302 
4,549 
4,651 
4,755 
4,866 


o 
o 
Si 

o  . 


"A 

133 
412 

702 
1,306 
1,618 
2,113 
2,059 
2,216 
2,612 
2,830 
2,959 
3,137 
3,216 
3,297 
3,479 
3,557 
3.704 
3,839 
3,915 
4,097 
4,159 
4,260 
4,465 
4.567 
4,655 
4,814 
4,899 
5,004 


431 

935 
1,14^ 
1 ,756 
2,198 
2,5  Hi 
2,323 
2,54() 
2.857 
3,021 
3,233 
3,343 
3,390 
3,511 
3,725 
3,811 
3,912 
4,028 
4,116 
4,254 
4,078 
4,437 
4,603 
4,819 
4,868 
4,784 
5,026 
5  167 


387 
937 
1,222 
1,810 
2,2K5 
2,40:1 

2,4(;s 

2.645 
3,082 
3,345 
3,461 
3,693 
3,789 
3,747 
4,131 
4,134 
4,287 
4,360 
4,455 
4,643 
4,81! 
4,925 
5.089 
5,238 
5.341 
5,491 
5,600 
5  747 


63,458 
118,607 
115,310 
l.H0,Hi»3 
151,818 
162,432 
172,337 
]53.91() 
171.793 
175,612 
179,897 
184,760 
192,6U() 
301,237 
206,123 
210,113 
213,191 
216,598 
220.980 
228,185 
236,245 
242,752 
248,178 
256,360 
25^,934 
266,326 
271,334 
276,452 


15,9< 

34,219 
3r>,30l 
53,721 
73, 1 1  1 
8r.3;5() 
76.999 
85,765 
81,101) 
110,530 
117,816 
125,501 
125,33- 
130,184 
135,526 
142,850 
145.2C 
155,544 
160,904 
166,27- 
166,25-; 
179,501 
172,257 
189.-251 
187.528 
193,064 
198.376 
200,789 


—  o 

O  0; 


)  52.856 
322,946 
375.822 
693,67'; 
945,621 
1,012.932 
1,064,717 
1,164,578 
1,401.655 
1,540,460 
1,605,627 
1,660,467 
1,714.599 
1,688,349 
1,676,871 
1,670.534 
1,753,143 
1,823,987 
1.811,(561 
1,871,235 
1,979,847 
1,9(54,915 
2,041,128 
2,045,456 
2,;«(),718 
2.483,528 
2,151,336 
2,746.234 


106,122  78  $ 
88,772  55 
172,023  15 
208,397  37 
^16,761  06 
229,300  00 
278,069  9-, 
284,717  18 
316,152  31 
315,320  48 
325,213  34 
:«9,987  9*; 
344.531  45 
354,811  4S 
375,154  52 
4-23.98S  85 
411.947  25 
174,305  :i 
504,461  26 
514,159  33 
549,258  00 
570,473  18 
590,493  25 
t506.-l(i2  OH 
619,962  08 
620,011  48 
678.203  93 
706,025  75 


"3  3 


67,318  96  1. 
195.562  16 
175.394  24 
183,496  68 
149,568  58 
233,139  02 
174,896  35 
237.215  8S 
231,135 
214,791  :« 
209,124  :38 
207,263  98 
195.  LS3 
251, -ill  .nO 
22(1,:.':!:!  54 

22i.i;i(;  : 

I>:],7s:!  f 

272,SI2  ;!:! 

252,529  90 
218,208 

161.520  .50 

:?r)7.724  96 

4(12.396  87 

:!',)(),5()4  88 

:m  lo.Kis 
:](!(),  ]:!l  23 

31)1,487  81* 
336,389  61 


+^  -13  o 
°  o  o  ^ 


2  82 
4  00 

3  12 

2  90 

3  35 
3  -48 

3  53 

4  14 
4  24 
4  25 
4  00 
3  33 
3  44 
3  37 
3  56 


4  36 

5  ()2 
5  07 
4  89 

4  69 

5  16 


244,386  67 
246,470  96 
207,267  66 
212,033  51 
124,791  42 
150,880  95 
224,1^37  02 
255,233  29 
247,6:^0  45 
209,740  50 
180,113  70 
204,874  55 
185,069  67 
212,877  56 
2(55,(57  4  8  4 
;!()2.254  49 
305. 5fi;  8)! 

;;2i.is8  46 
:50i,i:!i  10 

330,727  84 
416,950  59 
457,()3;?  9!) 
397,903  31 
546,019  83 
491,757  05 


3  ^,  -1*  a 
o  s  oi  3 

< 


277,4(55 
329,152 
262.891 
365,(585 
411,945 
456,110 
480.430 
508,579 
514,035 
539,273 
501,7(34 
504.196 
522,483 
5;«,647 
6(10,203 
615.1  K) 

(v.ti.so:! 

7!  9.080 
7;'5.()89 
756.946 
823.699 
856,667 
805,201 
914,673 
944.305 


7,722  90 
172,734  00 
3r24,517  31 
520,852  44 
576,623  69 
470,129  43 
577.718  72 
536,736  60 
606,991  18 
701.767  86 
763.812  45 
786.117  94 
770,658  86 
681,848  31 
709,071  30 
707,552  89 
758,475  22 
865,878  41 
94  7,370  97 
9'.)7  431  46 
,013.269  06 
.036.020  46 
,087.744  70 
,240.649  91 
.313,701  03 
,293,164  98 
,3(50.(593  5  4 
,436.062  53 


58 


Education. 


NORMAL  SCHOOLS. 

The  Stnte  has  in  successful  operation  six  normal  schools,  geo- 
graphically located  so  that  every  section  of  the  State  is  conveniently 
accessible  to  some  one  of  them.  Their  chief  work  being  the  edu- 
cation and  training  of  teachers  for  the  public  schools,  they  really 
form  an  essential  })art  of  the  free  school  system.  In  all  of  them, 
however,  there  is  established  an  acarlemic  department,  in  which 
students  may  prepare  for  entrance  to  college,  or  for  active  business. 
.  There  was  enrolled  in  these  schools,  for  the  year  1892,  one  thou- 
sand and  hfteen  students. 

They  are  controlled  and  managed  by  a  board  of  regents,  composed 
of  the  State  Superintendent,  who  is  ix-officio  president,  and  one 
member  from  each  Congressional  district  appointed  by  the  Gov- 
ernor, whose  service  continues  during  his  pleasure. 

The  board  has  full  authority  to  adopt  and  establish  such  by-laws, 
rules  and  regulations  for  their  government,  as  it  may  deem  neces- 
sary ;  to  njipoint  and  remove  teachers  and  fix  their  salaries;  to  pre- 
scribe the  preliminary  examination  of  pupils,  and  the  terms  on 
which  they  shall  be  received  and  instructed  and  the  branches  of 
learning  to  be  taught  in  each  department;  to  determine  the  num- 
ber of  pupils  to  be  received  in  the  normal  department  from  each 
county  and  the  mode  of  selecting  them. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  State  Superintendent  to  prepare  suitable 
diplomas  to  be  granted  to  the  students  of  the  normal  department 
who  have  completed  the  prescribed  course  of  study. 

The  board  is  required  to  appoint  three  persons,  residents  of  the 
county  in  which  each  school  is  located,  who  shall  constitute  a  local 
executive  committee  for  the  care  and  management  of  each  school,- 
subject  to  the  rules  and  regulations  prescribed  by  the  board. 

The  Rules  and  Regulations  of  the  Regents,  published  in  1891, 
contains  the  following  in  regard  to  the  management  of  these  schools  : 

One  thousand  normal  pupils,  with  free  tuition,  are  entitled  to 
attend  the  six  schools,  apportioned  among  the  several  counties, 
according  to  the  census  of  1890,  as  follows:  Barbour  12,  Berkeley 
17,  Braxton  5,  Boone  9,  Brooke  6,  Cabell  13,  Calhoun  6,  Clay  3, 
Doddridge  10,  Fayette  11,  Gilmer  7,  Grant  5,  Greenbrier  15,  Hamp- 
shire 10,  Hancock  5,  Hardy  6,  Harrison  20,  Jackson  16,  Jefferson 
15,  Kanawha  32,  Lewis  13,  Lincoln  8,  Logan  7,  Marion  17,  Marshall 


Education.  r^g 

18,  Mason  22,  Mercer  7,  Mineral  8,  Monongalia  15,  Monroe  11 
Morgan  5,  McDowell  3,  Nicholas  7,  Ohio  37,  Pendleton  8,  Pleasants 
6,  Pocahontas  5,  Preston  19,  Putnam  11,  Raleigh  7,  Randolph  8 
Ritchie  13,  Roane  12,  Summers  8,  Taylor  11,  Tucker  3  Tvler  u' 
;Upshur  10,  Wayne  14,  Webster  3,  Wetzel  13,  Wirt  7  '  Wcx)d  2o' 
Wyoming  4.  ^  '  ' 

I   Application  for  appointment  to  the  normal  department  must  be 
inade  to  the  principal  of  the  school  or  to  the  county  superintendent 
;)i  the  county  in  which  the  applica  t  resides.    Male  pupils  must 
lot   be   less  than  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  females   not  less 
ihan  thirteen.    Each  applicant  must  obligate  himself  to  teach  at 
|east  one  year  in  the  Ave  scliools  of  the  State,  or  refund  the  amount 
A  the  tuition  fees  paid  by  other  pupils  while  under  instruction. 
Two  departments,  a  normal  and  an  academic  have  been  estab-  ' 
shed  in  each  school.    The  normal  course  consists  of  three  year^ 
iz.  junior,  middle,  and  senior.    The  Junior  yeai  embraces  Ortho^r- 
:aphy,  Reading,  Writing,  Arithmetic,  Geography,  Language  Lessons 
nd  Elementary  English  Grammar,  U.  S.  History  and  Physiology 
The  Middle  year  embraces:  Orthography  by  written  exercises 
eading.  Sentence  Analysis,  Rhetoric   and  Composition   begun ' 
hysical  Geography,  Algebra  to  Quadratics,  Elements  of  General 
istory,  Pedac^ogy,  Theory  and  Practice  of  Teaching,  School  Law, 
ncient  and  Modern  Languages  optional. 

The  Senior  year  embraces  :  Spelling,  English  Literature,  Rhetoric 
Igebra,  Plane  Geometry  and  Trigonometry,  Elements  of  Physics' 
atural  History,  Botany, Civil  Government,  Drawing,  Book-keeping' 
sychology  and  History  of  Education. 

There  are  regular  exercises  in  composition  and  declamation 
roughout  the  course,  and  frequent  exercises  in  hearing  classes 
cite,  methods  discussed,  school  organization  exemplified,  (fee,  <kc. 
Diplomas  are  conferred  upon  the  graduates,  and  this  diploma 
titles  the  holder  to  receive  a  State  certificate  after  having  taught 
ree  years  on  a  first  grade  county  certificate. 

The  Academic  Course  of  Study  consists  of  two  years,  Junior  and 
nior 

The  Junior  year  embraces:  Geography,  Arithmetic,  English 
ammar,  Latin  Lessons,  Reader  and  Grammar,  Physiology  and  Hy- 


Education 

60 


$  20  00 

Junior  Normal  Course,  per  year  

Middle  or  Senior  Nornuil  Course,  per  year  •  •  • 

Ap.uloTuical  Department,  per  year  

tion  thereof  

formed  by  the  Normal  Sohoo's^  purchase  o 

The  total  amount  expended  by    he  ^^ate   or  I 
,.o„nd  and  the  constru<^oo  up  t 

libraries,  apparatus  and  fuel  jor  the  seve 
September  30th,  1892,  is  $14o,802. 

BRIEF  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL  AND  TH 
BRIEF  DEbCKl  SEVERAL  BRANCHES. 

r   OOTTEGE    THE  STATE  NOBMAL  ScHOOL-Is  located 

Marshall  College,  thi-.  oi  „„t„i,i;=hpd  in  ISii?  T 

Huntington,  in  Cabell  county,  and  ^ J^^^^^^^^^^^  hundre 
buildings  are  ample  lor  the  --"^^f/^^^^^^^^^^^  „,ounds  o 
pupils,  with  dormitones  ior  ^^out  o- hun^^^^^^^^         r^^^  ^^^^^^ 

:£rt:j?— ^^^^^^ 


Education. 


institution  has  a  well  selected  library  of  several  hundred  volumes, 
which  receives  an  annual  appropriation  from  the  State,  and  a  good 
working  equipment  of  chemical,  ph^^sical  and  philosophical  ap- 
paratus. 

The  enrollment  for  1892  was  183,  and  the  number  of  graduates  8. 
The  present  Principal  is  Thos.  E.  Hodges. 

Fairmont  Branch  of  the  State  Normaf.  Sciioor.  -  Is  located  at 
Fairmont,  in  Marion  county.  This  school  was  estaldished  in  1868, 
when  the  State  purchased  tlie  grounds  and  buildings ,  devoted  to  a 
private  Normal  school,  and  made  it  a  branch  State  Normal  school. 
The  institution  has  enjoyed  uninterrupted  prosperity  from  the  day 
it  Avas  opened.  Although  the  original  building  was  enlarged  more 
than  once, it  was  found  necessary  a  few  years  ago  to  provide  larger 
and  more  commodious  buildings  and  grounds  The  old  building 
and  grounds  were  sold  by  the  State  in  1891  to  Fairmont  Independ- 
ent Public  School  district,  and  a  spacious  site  purchased  just  outside 
the  corporate  limits  of  the  town.  The  new  normal  building  is  one 
Df  the  best  school  l)uildings  in  the  State,  and  will  accommodate  at 
least  five  hundred  students.  The  school  is  well  supplied  with  ap- 
paratus and  has  made  a  creditable  beginning  toward  the  collection 
3f  a  suitable  library. 

For  the  year  1892,  the  number  of  pupils  enrolled  was  26U  and  the 
number  of  graduates  27.    The  present  Principal  is  J.  Walter  Barnes. 

Shepherd  College  Branch  State  Normal  School. — This  school 
s  located  at  Shepherdstown,  Jefferson  county,  and  was  opened  as 
I  State  Normal  school  in  September,  1873.  The  building  occupied 
jj  this  school  is  a  two-story,  commodious  brick  structure,  well  ar- 
ranged for  school  purposes,  and  sufficient  to  accommodate  two  hun- 
Ired  and  filty  pupils.  It  is  beautifully  situated  on  an  eminence  in 
;.he  center  of  the  town  and  surrounded  by  beautiful  grounds.  This 
iichool  is  also  supplied  with  suitable  apparatus  and  a  library. 
.  The  number  of  pupils  enrolled  for  1892  was  90,  and  the  number 
)f  graduates  7.    The  present  Principal  is  A.  C.  Kimler. 

Glenville  Branch  Normal  School— Is  located  at  Glenville,  Gil- 
ner  county,  and  was  opened  to  students  January,  1873.  The  bulki- 
ng in  which  the  school  was  organized  and  conducted  for  several 
/ears  proved  inadequate  to  the  growing  needs  of  the  school,  and  in 


62 


Education. 


1885  the  legislature  made  an  appropriation  for  the  erection  of  a 
larger  and  more  commodious  building. 

The  school  has  been  well  supplied  with  suitable  apparatus,  and  a 
library  of  well  selected  standard  books.  The  enrollment  for  1892 
was  107  and  the  number  of  graduates  7.  The  present  Principal  is 
Rev.  M.  D.  Helmick. 

West  Liberty  Branch  Normal  School — Is  located  at  West  Lib- 
erty, Ohio  county,  and  was  opened  for  instruction  in  1870.  The 
building  and  grounds  occupied  by  this  school  were  formerly  owned 
and  used  by  the  West  Liberty  Academy,  and  were  purchased  by 
the  State  in  1870.  While  this  school  has  suffered  some  reverses  and 
interruption  since  its  organization,  it  has  on  the  whole  been  suc- 
cessful and  prosperous,  especially  is  this  true  during  the  past  seven 
years.  The  town  is  admirably  situated  for  the  location  of  an  edu- 
cational institution.  The  legislature  at  its  last  session  made  an 
appropriation  for  the  erection  of  a  new  and  better  building  for  this 
school.  It  is  well  equipped  with  suitable  apparatus  and  a  good  li- 
brary. 

The  enrollment  for  the  year  1892,  was  130,  and  the  number  of 
graduates  11.     The  present  Principal  is  Robert  A.  Armstrong. 

The  Concord  Branch  Normal  School — Is  located  at  Concord, 
Mercer  county,  and  was  opened  for  instruction  May,  1875.  This 
school  has  grown  and  prospered  under  greater  ©bstacles  than  any 
other  normal  school  in  the  State.  The  building  in  which  it  was  or- 
ganized in  1875,  was  quite  a  primitive  structure  for  a  State  Normal 
school.  In  1885,  the  legislature  made  an  appropriation  for  a  new 
building,  and  in  1887  an  appropriation  for  an  addition  to  this 
building,  and  again  in  1891  an  appropriation  for  the  erection  of  a 
boarding  house  for  young  ladies.  The  school  in  point  of  attendance 
has  grown  to  be  the  second  school  in  the  State.  It  has  been  well 
supplied  Avith  apparatus  and  library. 

The  enrollnKHit  for  \H\)2  was  245,  and  the  number  of  graduates,  7. 
The  present  Principal  is  John  I).  Sweeney. 


Education. 


G3 


WEST  VIRGINIA  UNIVERSITY. 

The  West  Virginia  University,  located  at  Morgantown,  Monon- 
galia county,  is  the  head  of  the  State  educational  system. 

This  institution  had  its  origin  in  the  grant  of  lands  made  by  the 
United  States  in  1862  to  most  of  the  States  for  the  establishment 
of  agricultural  colleges.  West  Virginia  received  in  this  way  land 
scrip  to  the  amount  of  $90,000,  which  was  the  proceeds  of  the 
sale  ol  150,000  acres  of  land.  To  this  the  State  has  since  added 
$20,000,  making  an  endowment  fund  of  $110,000,  the  income  from 
which  alone  being  used  to  pay  current  expenses  of  the  institution. 

The  act  establishing  these  institutions  provided  that  the  interest 
of  this  fund  should  be  used  for  the  support  and  maintenance  of  at 
least  one  college,  where  the  leading  object  shall  be,  without  ex- 
cluding other  scientific  and  classical  studies,  and  including  military 
tactics,  to  teach  such  branches  of  learning  as  are  related  to  agri- 
culture and  the  mechanic  arts,  in  order  to  promote  the  liberal  and 
practical  education  of  the  industrial  classes  in  the  several  pursuits 
and  professions  of  life. 

By  the  union  of  State  and  National  funds,  it  has  been  possible 
to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  act  in  a  broad  and  liberal  spirit. 
Five  splendid  buildings  for  the  purposes  of  the  University  have  been 
erected,  as  follows :  Univer^ty  Hall,  Preparatory  Building,  Agri- 
cultural Experiment  Station,  Commencement  Hall  and  Gym- 
nasium, and  Mechanical  Building.  A  building  for  the  departments 
of  Physics,  Chemistry,  Civil  Engineering  and  Geology  is  now  being 
erected.  The  cost  of  these  buildings,  including  the  scientific  build- 
ing now  under  construction,  is  about  $175,000. 

The  revenues  for  the  current  support  of  the  University  are  de- 
rived from  the  interest  on  the  Endowment  Fund  the  appropria- 
tions made  by  the  legislature,  and  since  1890,  by  additional  appro- 
priations by  the  Congress  of  the  United  States. 

The  University  is  under  the  control  and  management  of  a  board 
of  thirteen  Regents,  one  from  each  Senatorial  District,  appointed  by 
the  Governor. 

The  following  departments,  or  schools,  have  been  established  : 
the  Collegiate,  Military,  Law,  Preparatory  and  an  Agricultural  Ex- 
periment Station. 


G4 


Education. 


The  Collegiate  Department  embraces  the  following  groups  of 
study  :  Agriculture,  Ancient  Languages,  Biology,  Chemistry  and 
Physics,  Civil  Engineering,  English,  Geology,  History,  Mathematics, 
Mechanical  Engineering,  Mechanic  Arts,  Metaphysics,  Modern  Lan- 
guages, and  Political  Science. 

In  the  Collegiate  Department  the  following  degrees  are  conferred 
upon  graduates :  Bachelor  of  Arts,  Bachelor  of  Science,  Bachelor 
of  Science  in  Mechanical  Engineering,  Bachelor  of  Science  in  Civil 
Engineering,  and  Bachelor  of  Agriculture.  Post  graduate  courses 
are  also  offered  for  the  df^grees  of  Master  of  Arts  and  Master  of 
Sciences. 

The  course  of  study  in  the  Law  Department,  covers  the  branches 
of  comfnon  and  statute  law,  constitutional  and  international  law, 
commercial  and  criminal  law,  maritime  law,  equity  jurisprudence, 
evidence,  pleading  and  practice.  Graduates  of  this  department  are 
admitted  to  practice  in  any  of  the  courts  of  the  State  without  ex- 
amination. Instruction  in  military  science  and  tactics  is  given  by 
a  graduate  of  West  Point,  detailed  from  the  United  States  army 
The  United  States  also  furnishes  arms  and  equipments  for  this  pur- 
pose. The  law  provides  for  the  appointment  of  eight  cadets  from 
each  Senatorial  district,  who  receive  tuition,  books  and  stationery 
free. 

The  Preparatory  Department  has  been  established  for  the  purpose 
of  preparing  young  men  for  admission  to  the  higher  classes  of  the 
University. 

The  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  was  organized  in  1888,  and 
owes  its  existence  to  an  act  of  Congress,  approved  March  2,  1887. 
The  work  of  the  Station,  according  to  the  act,  is  chiefly  devoted  to 
researches  and  experiments  concerning  agriculture  and  to  the  diffu- 
sion of  the  results  of  such  experiments  among  the  people.  Since 
its  organization  the  Station  has  been  under  the  directorship  of  John 
A.  Myers,  Ph.  D. 

Tuition  is  practically  free  to  all  students  from  West  Virginia. 
Young  women  are  admitted  to  the  classes  of  the  Collegiate  De- 
partment. 

The  University  possesses  a  library  of  several  thousand  volumes 
of  standard  books  and  special  libraries  and  an  adequate  equipment 
of  apparatus  for  the  special  use  of  the  various  departments. 


Education. 


65 


The  present  faculty  consists  of  the  President,  K.  M.  Turner, 
LL.  D.,  and  seventeen  professors  and  one  assistant  professor. 

There  have  been  3,776  students  in  attendance  and  168  graduates 
in  the  Collegiate  Department  and  97  in  the  law  department  since  the 
University  was  opened. 

WEST  VIRGINIA  COLORED  INSTITUTE. 

This  institution,  located  at  Farm,  Kanawha  county,  was  estab- 
lished by  the  State  in  1 891  to  carry  out  an  act  of  Congress  approved 
August  30,  1890,  entitled  "an  act  to  apply  a  portion  of  the  proceeds 
of  the  public  lands  to  the  more  complete  endowment  and  support  of 
the  colleges  for  the  benefit  of  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts,  es- 
tablished under  the  provisions  of  an  act  of  Congress  approved  July 
2nd,  1862." 

The  location  is  a  most  eligible  one  for  the  purposes  of  the  school. 
The  grounds  consist  of  thirty  acres  of  Kanawha  River  bottom  land, 
and  the  building  is  a  three-story  brick  structure. 

The  institution  is  under  the  management  of  a  Board  of  Regents, 
appointed  by  the  Governor,  one  from  each  Congressional  district. 

The  funds  for  its  support  are  derived  from  Federal  and  State  ap- 
propriatio  is. 

The  curriculum  embraces  the  following  courses  of  study  : 

1.  A  course  in  pure  mathematic-^ ;  arithmetic,  algebra,  geometry 
and  trigonometry. 

2.  A  course  in  the  English  language. 

3.  '  A  course  in  natural  and  applied  science,  philosophy  and  chem- 
istry. 

4.  A  course  in  practical  agriculture. 

5.  A  course  in  practical  mechanics. 

A  normal  department  has  been  established  for  the  normal  educa- 
tion and  training  of  teachers. 

The  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Departments  have  been  supplied 
with  all  necessary  apparatus,  machinery  and  tools.  Although  not 
yet  a  year  since  the  insitution  was  opened  to  students,  its  growth 
and  progress  has  been  very  satisfactory. 

This  institution  and  Storer  College  afford  ample  and  convenient 
facilities  for  higher  education  to  the  colored  people  of  the  State. 
The  present  principal  is  J.  Edwin  Campbell. 


GG 


Education. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  REFORM  SCHOOL. 

This  institution,  located  at  Pruntytown,  Taylor'  county,  was  es- 
tablished under  an  act  of  the  leo^islature  passed  in  1889.  It  was 
opened  July  21,  1890,  for  the  reception  of  inmates. 

It  is  exclusively  devoted  to  the  reformation  and  care  of  male 
minors  (under  sixteen  years  of  age),  but  white  and  colored  inmates 
are  required  to  be  kept  separate. 

The  institution  is  und«r  the  control  of  a  board  of  directors  ap- 
pointed by  the  Governor.  Boys  may  be  committed  by  all  courts 
of  record  for  offenses  against  the  law  and  for  incorrigibility  and  va- 
grancy. 

While  under  the  care  of  the  school,  boys  are  taught  some  useful 
trade.  At  the  present  time,  besides  fanning,  they  are  taught  tailor- 
ing, shoe-making  and  printing.  About  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
boys  have  been  enrolled  since  the  institution  was  opened.  The 
present  Principal  is  C.  C.  Sho waiter. 

PRIVATE  AND  DENOMINATIONAL  SCHOOLS. 

Besides  the  foregoing  educational  institutions,  established,  con- 
trolled and  supported  by  the  State,  there  are  some  sixteen  private 
and  denominational  institutions,  ranging  in  grade  from  the  academy 
and  seminary  up  to  the  well  equipped  college;  the  most  prominent 
among  which  are  the  following: 

Bethany  College — Located  at  Bethany,  Brooke  county,  in  the 
western  Panhandle,  and  under  the  control  of  the  Christian  Church, 
was  founded  in  1840  by  the  renowned  Rev.  Dr.  Alexander  Campbell. 
This  is  not  a  theological  school,  but  a  literary  college  of  high  grade, 
and  open  to  both  sexes.  The  grounds  are  ample,  and  the  college 
building,  over  four  hundred  feet  in  length;  is  noted  for  its  artistic 
beauty.  The  institution  possesses  an  extensive  library  and  a  fine 
equipment  of  apparatus. 

The  matriculates  of  the  college  number  about  six  thousand  and 
the  graduates  between  seven  and  eight  hundred,  many  of  whom 
have  achieved  distinction  in  this  and  other  States.  The  present 
President  is  the  Rev.  Hugh  McDiarmid. 

Broadus  College —Located  at  Clarksburg,  Harrison  county,  was 
opened  in  187G.    At  first  young  ladies  only  were  admitted,  but  in 


Education. 


67 


1888  it  was  opener]  to  young  nnen  also.  The  institution  is  under 
the  general  control  of  the  Baptist  Church.  The  curriculum 
offers  four  courses  of  study,  Primary,  Preparatory,  CoUpgiate  and 
Ornamental.  ' 

The  number  of  students  enrolled  in  1892,  was  120. 

The  main  building  is  a  three  story  brick  structure  40  by  70  feet, 
with  boarding  accommodations  for  young  ladies.  The  present 
President  is  Rev.  R.  R.  Powell. 

Normal  a\d  Classical  Academy —Located  at  Backhannon,  Up 
shur  county,  was  established  in  1882,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church. 

The  institution  has  an  endowment  fund  of  $15,000,  but  it  is 
mainly  supported  by  tuition  fees  and  voluntary  contributions  of 
friends. 

The  building  is  a  two-story  brick  structure  of  ten  roonns.  The 
enrollment  for  the  year  1892,  was  176.  Since  the  opening  of  the 
school  there  have  been  44  graduates  in  the  Literary  Department,  7 
in  the  Musical  and  33  in  the  Commercial. 

The  present  Principal  is  W.  0.  Mills. 

West  Virginia  Conference  Seminary— Located  at  Buckhannon, 
was  established  in  1887  under  the  auspices  of  the  West  Virginia 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  was  opened  in 
September,  1890.  The  institution  owns  an  extensive  plat  of  forty- 
three  acres.  The  building  is  a  beautiful  three-story  structure  80  by 
106  feet.  It  has  no  endowment,  but  depends  for  its  support  upon 
tuition  fees  and  the  contributions  of  friends.  The  property  is  val- 
ued at  about  $60,000.  The  curriculum  covers  the  usual  Classical, 
Scientific  and  Literary  courses. 

Departments  in  Music  and  Military  Science  have  been  added. 

The  number  enrolled  for  1892,  was  246.  The  present  President 
is  the  Rev.  Dr.  B.  W.  Hutchinson 

Salem  College  -  Located  at  Salem,  Harrison  county,  was  estab- 
lished in  1889  under  the  auspices  of  the  Seventh-Day  Baptist  Edu- 
cation Societ3^  The  school  is  conducted,  however,  as  an  undenom- 
inational institution.  The  support  of  the  school  is  derived  from 
tuition  fees  and  contributions.    In  addition  to  the  regular  classical 


\ 


68 


Education. 


and  scientific  courses  of  study,  there  are  Normal  and  Business  De- 
partments.   The  enrollment  for  1892,  was  about  100.     Rev.  T.  L 
Gardner  is  the  present  President. 

Shelton  College — Located  at  St.  Albans,  Kanawha  county, 
was  opened  in  1872,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Baptist  church.  The 
present  college  building,  a  large  two-story  brick,  was  completed  in 
1875.  The  course  of  study  does  not  extend  beyond  academic  or 
preparatory  work.  The  school  is  at  present  under  the  charge  of 
W.  G.  Miller. 

Barboursville  College — Located  at  Barboursville,  Cabell 
county,  wa^  established  in  1888,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South.  The  school  possesses  ample  and  com- 
modious buildings.  In  addition  to  the  regular  classical  and  scien- 
tific courses,  there  are  provided  Normal  and  Business  Departments. 
It  has  no  endowment,  but  is  supported  by  tuition  fees  and  contri- 
butions. The  enrollment  for  1892  was  153.  Prof.  R.  W.  Douthat 
is  the  present  President  of  the  college. 

Linsley  Institute — Located  at  Wheeling,  was  established  in 
1814,  being  named  after  its  founder,  Noah  Linsley.  The  institu- 
tion is  a  high-grade  academy.  Instruction  in  military  tactics  is 
given,  an  officer  for  this  purpose  being  detailed  from  the  United 
States  Navy  by  the  Government. 

The  institution  is  controlled  and  managed  by  a  Board  of  Trustees. 
The  enrollment  for  1892  was  one  hundred  and  twenty-five,  and 
the  number  of  graduates  eleven.  The  present  Principal  is  John  M. 
Birch. 

Greenbrier  Seminary— Located  at  Aldeison,  Greenbrier  county, 
was  established  by  B.  E.  Goode  in  1885.  The  curriculum  of  study 
embraces  two  departments,  a  preparatory  and  collegiate.  The 
school  is  open  to  both  sexes.  This  institution,  although  in  opera- 
tion but  a  short  time,  has  made  an  auspicious  beginning. 

Lewisburg  Female  Institute — Located  at  Lewisburg,  •  Green- 
brier county;  established  about  the  year  1810,  and  Stephenson 
Female  Seminary,  located  at  Charlestown,  Jefferson  county,  estab- 
lished in  1882,  may  be  noted  as  schools  doing  excellent  work. 


Education. 


West  Virginia  College— Located  at  Flemington,  Taylor  county, 
was  established  in  1864.  The  institution  is  under  the  control  of  the 
Freewill  Baptist  church.  The  work  of  the  school  is  largely  devoted 
to  preparatory  and  normal  instruction.  The  present  President  is 
Rev.  Thomas  E.  Peden. 

Sr.  Joseph's  Ac.ademy--  Located  at  Wheeling,  was  established  in 
1865  and  is  under  the  charge  of  the, Sisters  of  St.  Joseph.  The 
school  is  open  to  young  ladies  only.  For  the  year  1892  the  enroll- 
ment was  one  hundred  and  thirteen. 

Mount  De  Cmantal — Located  near  Wheeling,  was  founded  by  Rt. 
Rev.  R.  V.  Whelan  in  1848  In  1865  it  was  removed  to  its  pres- 
ent beautiful  site,  about  two  miles  beyond  the  city  limits.  It  is 
in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Visitation. 

The  grounds  are  extensive,  the  buildings  ample,  and  provided 
with  all  modern  improvements.  The  library  contains  six  thousand 
volumes.    The  course  of  study  is  wide  and  thorough. 

The  institution  has  enjoyed  the  reputation  for  a  number  of  years 
as  a  superior  school  in  the  department  of  vocal  and  instrumental 
music. 

The  annual  enrollment  for  several  years  has  averaged  about  one 
hundred. 

The  parish  schools  of  the  Catholic  Church,  at  Wheeling,  Parkers- 
burg,  Grafton,  Clarksburg,  Benwood,  Huntington,  Coalburg,  Charles- 
ton and  Coal  Valley  enrolled  for  the  year  1892,  about  two 
thousand  pupils 

Stoker  College — Located  at  Harper's  Ferry,  Jefferson  county,  was 
established  in  1868,  and  named  in  honor  of  John  Storer,  .who  gave 
810,000  toward  founding  the  institution.  A  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  on  Bolivar  Heights  was  purchased  for  the  location  of 
the  school.  In  1868  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  donated  to 
the  College  four  government  buildings,  formerly  used  as  residences 
by  officers  of  the  Armory  at  Harper's  Ferry.  The  grounds  donated 
with  these  buildings  together  with  the  purchase  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  acres,  form  the  picturesque  site  of  the  institution.  Three  new 
buildings  have  been  erected  since  1870.  Anthony  Hall,  Lincoln 
Hall  and  Myrtle  Hall.    Anthony  Hall  contains  a  chapel,  lecture 


70 


Education 


room,  recitation  rooms  arid  quarters  for  the  principal's  family; 
Lincoln  Hall  and  Myrtle  Hall  are  used  for  boarding  halls  for  young 
men  and  women. 

Although  chartered  as  a  college  as  well  as  a  normal  school, 
the  institution  has  not  yet  attempted  to  establish  a  "college" 
course.  'I'he  departments  thus  I'ar  put  into  operation  comprise  a  pre- 
paratory course,  a  normal  course,  and  an  academic  course.  Within 
the  last  few  years  an  industrial  department  has  been  established, 
which  is  meeting  with  excellent  success.  In  this  department  in- 
struction is  given  in  cooking  and  house  keeping,  carpentering  and 
typesetting. 

The  institution  is  under  the  control  of  a  board  of  trustees. 
Students  are  admitted  "without  distinction  on  account  of  race,  color, 
sex  or  religious  preferences,"  but  the  school  is  attended  only  by 
colored  pupils. 

The  catalogue  for  1892  shows  an  enrollment  of  54  pupils  in  the 
preparatory  department;  186  in  the  normal  and  58  in  the  academic. 

The  present  principal  is  N."  C.  Brackett,  who  has  been  in  charge 
since  the  organization  of  the  institution. 

Commercial  Schools — The  Wheeling  Business  CoUege,  at  Wheel- 
ing, under  the  management  of  J.  M.  Frasher,  is  the  leading  school 
of  its  kind  in  the  State.  It  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  National  Busi- 
ness College,  established  in  that  city  in  1872. 

The  school  is  thoroughly  equipped  with  all  modern  conveniences 
for  giving  young  men  and  women  a  thorough  business  education 
and  training.  The  annual  enrollment  ior  several  years  has  num- 
bered over  two  hundred. 

The  Mountain  State  Business  College. — Located  at  Parkers- 
burg,  was  opened  in  1889.  This  school  has  been  under  the  suc- 
cessful management  of  A  G.  Sine. 

Successful  commercial  schools  have  been  opened  also  in  Clarks- 
burg and  Charleston. 


Education. 


71 


EDUCATIONAL    PUBLICATIONS  AND  THE  WiLST  VIRGINIA  EDU- 
CATIONAL ASSOCIATION. 

The  educational  papers  that  have  been  pul)lished  from  time  to 
time  have  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the  advancement  .of 
education,  by  the  spread  of  sound  ideas,  the  elevation  of  public 
opinion,  the  presentation  and  illustration  of  new  and  improved 
methods  of  teaching,  and  the  criticism  of  all  unwise  educational 
measures,  or  ill  advised  legislation. 

There  are  at  the  present  time  two  magazines  devoted  to  the  gen 
eral  educational  interests  of  the  State,  the   PFes^   Virghiia  School 
Jourfial  and  the  Public  School  Mirro?^^  and  a  number  of  papers  pub- 
lished in  the  interests  of  the  various  educational  institutions. 

The  West  Virginia  Educational  Association  was  organized  in  1865. 
It  holds  annual  meetings  which  are  devoted  to  the  discussion  of 
all  questions  connected  with  the  advancement  of  education.  A'mong 
its  membership  are  enrolled  a  large  number  of  teachers  and  school 
officers,  and  many  prominent  citizens. 

This  Association  has  been  instrumental  in  creating  and  fostering 
an  organized  interest  among  teachers  and  the  friends  of  education, 
and  has  done  much  to  promote  the  advancement  of  sound  educa- 
tional policy. 

Those  desiring  more  detailed  information  than  could  be  given  in 
the  foregoing  sketch,  are  referred  to  State  Superintendent  Morgan's 
bi-ennial  report  for  1891  and  1892,  in  which  will  be  found  a  com- 
prehensive history  of  education  in  the  State. 


72 


Salt. 


SALT. 


When  first  the  daring  pioneers  of  old  Virginia  set  foot  on  western 
soil  and  crossed  the  Alleghanies  to  find  and  settle  and  subdue  the 
land  that  now  composes  West  Virginia,  they  found  the  Indians  on 
the  banks  of  the  Great  Kanawha  making  salt.  In  1753  Mrs.  Mary 
Ingles,  the  first  white  woman  who  ever  crossed  the  Alleghanies, 
was  captured  by  the  Indians  and  taken  across  the  mountains,  down 
the  Kanawha  and  Ohio  rivers  to  a  point  near  where  the  city  of  Cin- 
cinnati now  is  built.  After  several  months  spent  among  the  In- 
dians, she  made  her  escape,  retraced  her  steps  and  finally  returned 
to  her  friends  and  relatives  east  of  the  mountains/  While  in  the 
service  of  the  Indians  Mrs.  Ingles  was  forced  to  spend  several  days 
at  the  salt  wells,  near  the  present  site  of  Charleston,  boiling  salt,  a 
supply  of  which  the  Indians  carried  with  them  on  their  march. 
This  is  the  first  account  of  salt  being  made  from  brine  anywhere 
M^est  of  the  Alleghanies,  and  it  is  a  noteworthy  tact  that  the  great 
grand-son  of  this  same  Mrs.  Ingles,  Dr.  John  P.  Hale,  of  Charleston, 
was  in  after  years  one  of  the  most  extensive  salt  manufacturers  in 
the  State,  at  a  time  when  fully  sixty  furnaces  were  in  operation 
along  the  Great  Kanawha  valley. 

Before  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  boiling  of 
salt  had  been  begun  and  soon  became  a  profitable  industry,  the  pio- 
neers for  hundreds  of  miles  around  depending  entirely  on  the  salt 
makers  in  the  Kanawha  valley  for  their  supply.  Primitive  methods 
sufficed  for  many  years,  but  when  the  western  country  became 
more  thickly  settled  and  markets  were  provided  which  had  to  be 
supplied  with  all  the  necessaries  of  life,  the  demand  became  so  great 
that  newer  methods  were  adopted  and  the  manufacture  of  salt  on  a 


Salt. 


78 


very  extensive  scale  became  the  principal  business  of  the  Kanawha 
valley.  On  the  Great  Kanawha  the  principal  salt  wells  were  at  the 
"Kanawha  Salines,"  about  five  miles  above  the  city  of  Charleston, 
but  for  miles  on  either  side  more  brine  was  found  by  boring,  and 
many  furnaces  throughout  the  valley  built  up  an  industry  that 
made  the  country  thrive,  and  gave  employment  to  many  hundred 
men.  For  many  years  the  manufacture  of  salt  was  the  principal 
business  of  the  Kanawha  valley,  and  the  region  attained  a  notoriety 
throughout  almost  the  world,  not  only  for  the  quantity  of  salt  pro- 
duced, but  also  for  its  quality.  None  other  ever  sold  for  higher 
prit'es  or  was  in  more  general  demand  than  the  Kanawha  salt  which 
even  now  successfully  competes  in  market  with  other  salts  which 
are  more  cheaply  made.  For  pork  packing  it  is  particularly  in  de- 
mand, possessing  qualities  which  cannot  be  dispensed  w^ith  in  the 
packing  of  pork,  and  cannot  be  found  in  any  other  salt.  Hundreds 
of  thousands  of  barrels  were  annually  shipped  by  river  to  the  lower 
markets,  principally  to  Cincinnati,  the  great  pork  packing  center, 
before  the  industry  began  to  decline.  The  discovery  of  salt  in 
Michigan  with  the  cheap  pine  fuel  close  at  hand  by  which  the  salt 
could  be  made  cheaper  than  it  was  being  made  here,  caused  the 
business  to  grow  less,  and  gradually  decline  until  now  in  the  entire 
Kanawha  Valley  there  is  but  a  single  furnace  making  salt.  By  the 
use  of  natural  gas  found  near  the  furnace  the  expenses  are  reduced 
to  a  minimum,  and  for  many  years  this  furnace  has  been  in  opera- 
tion making  a  vast  amount  of  salt  every  year,  much  of  which  is 
consumed  at  home,  but  the  greater  part  of  which  is  sent  to  Cincin- 
nati. Along  the  Ohio  river  in  Mason  county  were  also  many  furn- 
aces for  the  manufacture  of  salt.  But  there,  as  elsewhere  in  the 
State,  the  profits  have  decreased  until  there  are  now  but  a  few 
furnaces  in  that  vicinity  where  salt  is  ever  made.  But  the  industry 
will  not  always  remain  prostrate.  In  Michigan  where  the  principal 
competition  was  located,  the  cost  of  fuel  is  advancing.  The  destruc- 
tion of  the  forests  leaves  the  boiling  of  salt  a  more  expensive  pro- 
cess than  it  has  hitherto  been  found,  and  ere  long  the  West  Vir- 
ginia brine  with  cheap  and  limitless  fuel  close  at  hand,  and  unex- 
celled shipping  advantages  will  once  again  become  the  source  of  a 
great  revenue  to  the  regions  where  it  is  found.  In  the  Kanawha 
valley  the  wells  are  bored  about  a  thousand  feet  as  an  average 


74 


Salt. 


depth,  and  the  brine  is  found  in  apparently  inexhaustible  quan- 
tities. 

From  the  products  of  the  brine  many  chemicals  are  made,  such  as 
soda-ash,  bromine,  bicarbonate  of  soda,  and  other  chemicals  of  a 
similar  nature.  Soda  ash  is  largely  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
glass,  soap,  paper,  and  numerous  other  articles,  and  is  an  important 
article  of  commerce.  Nearly  all  the  soda-ash  used  in  this  country  is 
made  in  England,  over  140,000  tons  being  imported  annually.  The 
cost  of  making  it  in  England  is  87  cents  per  hundred  pounds;  the 
tariff  and  the  transportation  charges  raise  the  cost  of  soda-ash  laid 
down  in  America  to  considerably  over  a  dollar  a  hundred  pounds. 
After  a  full  investigation  the  late  Hon.  Henry  S.  Walker  and  asso- 
ciates found  that  in  the  Kanawha  valley  salt  region  with  fuel  cheap 
and  close  at  hand  the  same  product  can  be  made  for  about  80  cents 
a  hundred  pounds,  showing  a  large  difference  in  favor  of  American 
manufacture. 

The  supply  of  soda-ash  has  been  for  a  long  time  short  of  the  de- 
mand in  this  country  and  many  glass  factories  have  been,  at  times, 
forced  to  suspend  on  account  of  their  inability'  to  get  it.  With  a 
manufactory  in  this  country  able  to  put  out  all  that  would  be  de- 
manded of  it,  at  a  lower  price  than  is  now  paid  the  foreign  manu- 
facturers, there  should  be  no  shutting  down  of  glass  works  or  any 
other  works  depending  on  soda-ash  for  their  raw  material. 

Some  years  ago  a  number  of  Baltimore  importers  of  soda-ash 
organized  a  company  of  English  capitalists  and  had  selected  the 
Kanawha  valley  as  the  most  suitable  field  in  America  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  soda-ash.  But  their  plans  were  never  matured  and  the 
company  never  went  to  work.  Only  a  few  years  ago  the  late  Hon. 
Henry  S.  Walker  spent  several  months  in  England  investigating 
the  process  of  making  soda-ash,  and  had  organized  another  company 
for  its  manufacture  near  Charleston  when  his  sudden  and  untimely 
death  put  an  end  to  all  his  projects  and  nothing  was  ever  done  by 
his  company.  But  the  fact  remains  that  here  in  West  Virginia  is 
one  of  the  most  favorable  sites  in  the  world  for  the  manufacture  of 
soda-ash,  an  article  which  is  largely  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
many  of  the  articles  of  every  day  use  throughout  the  world.  With 
the  salt  for  the  boring,  the  coal  almost  for  the  digging,  cheap  labor 
and  ample  transportation  facilities,  the  cost  to  make  it  here  would 


Salt. 


75 


be  much  less  than  that  in  other  countries  and  a  large  and  profitable 
business  might  readily  be  worked  up  in  an  article  for  which  there 
is  almost  constant  demand,  and  on  which  a  large  profit  could  be 
made. 

The  salt  wells  of  the  State,  while  not  at  present  proving  them- 
selves so,  are  really  among  the  most  valuable  of  the  State's  resour- 
ces, and  the  time  will  come,  as  in  the  past,  when  they  will  yield 
from  their  abundant  stores  and  cause  a  revival  of  an  industry  which 
for  many  years  was  the  principal  one  within  the  State.  Their  pro- 
ducts will  be  used  in  making  soda-ash  and  other  chemicals,  and 
with  glass  sand,  wood  pulp,  and  other  materials  close  at  hand,  the 
various  products  in  which  the  soda-ash  is  a  principal  part — such  as 
glass,  paper,  etc. — ^will  be  manufactured  here.  In  her  salt  water 
West  Virginia  has  a  true  source  of  future  greatness. 

The  Great  Kanawha  valley  and  the  Ohio  valley  in  Mason  coun- 
ty are  not  the  only  places  in  the  State  where  salt  is  found,  but  these 
are  the  places  where  it  has  been  principally  made.  Many  of  the 
■other  counties  possess  as  strong  salt  water  as  that  which  has  been 
mentioned,  but  in  other  places  little  salt  has  ever  been  made.  The 
descriptions  of  the  counties  in  pages  following  will  give  the  places 
in  which  salt  is  found. 


76 


Oil  and  G  as. 


OIL  AND  GAS. 


"In  1775  George  W ashington  visited  the  Kanawha  valley  in  per- 
son and  located  some  very  valuable  lands  for  his  military  services. 
About  eight  miles  above  Charleston  he  set  apart  and  deeded  to  the 
public  forever  an  acre  of  land  near  the  river,  on  which  was  a  great 
natural  wonder,  then  little  understood,  called  a 'burning  spring.' 
For  many,  many  years  afterward  it  was  visited  by  every  one  who 
came  to  or  passed  through  Kanawha,  as  one  of  the  curiosities  of  the 
region.  It  was  sitnply  a  hole  in  the  ground  which  filled  with  water 
when  it  rained,  and  up  through  which  issued  a  jet  of  gas,  giving 
the  water  the  appearance  of  boiling,  and  when  lighted  burned  with 
a  bright  flame  till  blown  out  by  high  wind." 

Such  is  the  brief  description,  given  by  Dr.  John  P.  Hale,  of  the 
first  natural  gas  ev^r  discovered  in  America.  From  the  same  vicinity 
gas  is  still  produced  to-day  and  is  piped  to  the  furnace  of  John  Q. 
Dickinson,  near  Maiden,  where  salt  is  made  by  steam  from  natural 
gas.  At  the  time  referred  to  the  gas  was  not  understood,  its  value 
was  not  known,  and  it  was  allowed  to  escape  as  freely  as  it  might. 

In  1815  Capt.  James  Wilson,  an  old  Kanawha  citizen,  and  one  of 
the  early  salt  makers  of  the  valley,  was  boring  for  salt  water.  He 
failed  to  reach  the  water  at  the  depth  expected,  but  being  of  a  very 
determined  nature,  declared  he  would  reach  salt  water  or  bore  into 
hell.  Soon  after  this  his  men  struck  gas.  The  tools  were  blown 
out,  the  gas  caught  fire  and  poured  its  flames  far  upward  from  the 
earth,  which  seemed  to  be  emitting  great  volumes  of  fire.  The 
Captain  concluded  he  had  told  the  truth  and  had  actually  bored  into 
the  lower  regions,  and  had  his  workmen  stop. 

The  first  natural  gas  field  developed  and  put  to  practical  use  was 


Oil  and  Gas. 


77 


that  in  the  northern  pan-handle  near  Wellsburg,  where  the  gas  is 
still  in  use,  though  with  much  "^mailer  pressure  than  at  first.  To-day 
in  perhaps  half  the  counties  of  the  State  natural  gas  is  known  to 
exist.  It  olten  bubbles  up  through  the  water  and  sand  along  the 
edge  of  a  water, course,  and  on  being  lighted  gives  to  the  stream  the 
appearance  of  being  on  fire.  In  many  parts  of  the  State  the  gas  is 
utilized  for  lighting,  heating  and  manufacturing  purposes.  Its 
value  is  depreciated  by  its  apparent  uncertainty,  in  many  places 
the  gas  having  given  out  after  being  used  for  some  time. 

"Before  the  war"  oil  was  found  in  West  Virginia  in  the  Burning 
Springs  region  in  the  Little  Kanawha  Valley,  near  Parkersburg.  It 
was  found  in  shallow  wel's,  and  at  the  prices  charged  in  those  days 
for  it,  caused  the  rnost  intense  excitement,  scarcely  equalled  by  that 
in  California  over  the  discovery  of  gold.  Towns  sprang  up,  der- 
ricks were  built  and  oil  wells  bored.  Money  was  invested  and  in 
many  instances  lost.  In  others  great  fortunes  were  made.  Oil  was 
barreled,  floated  down  the  river  in  rnfts,  and  Parkersburg  was  made 
the  distributing  point  from  which  the  oil  was  shipped  by  rail  or 
river  in  almost  every  direction.  The  war,  with  its  terrible  results, 
broke  up  the  oil  excitement,  destroyed  the  derricks  and  machinery 
and  for  a  time  broke  up  the  business.  But  later  on  it  rallied,  and 
has  been  growing  ever  since.  When,  a  few  years  ago,  the  deep  wells 
were  first  put  down  the  excitement  was  for  a  time  renewed.  In 
vicinities  where  the  oil  was  found  the  old  exciting  times  were  again 
renewed,  and  towns  sprang  up  almost  in  a  day.  In  other  places 
many  ''wild  cat"  wells  were  bored  in  the  vain  attempt  to  find  the 
oil  at  random.  The  presence  of  oil  in  almost  every  county  in  the 
State  is  suspected,  and  in  very  many  of  them  it  has  been  proven  to 
exist  in  small  quantities,  while  in  some  it  is  found  in  enormous 
quantities,  making  West  Virginia  the  only  rival  for  Pennsylvania  as 
an  oil  producing  State.  The  Sistersville  (W.  Va.)  field  is  today  the 
greatest  producing  oil  field  in  the  world.  Though  many  counties 
contribute  to  the  aggregate  oil  production  of  the  S  ate,  there  are  but 
three  large-producing  fields  in  the  State— the  Sistersville  field,  the 
Eureka-Belmont  field,  both  along  the  Ohio  river,  and  the  Marion 
county  field  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State.  In  these  producing 
fields,  the  derricks  stand  in  every  yard  and  street  corner,  and  even 
the  property  devoted  to  religious  worship  is  not  free  from  them. 


78 


Oil  and  Gas. 


One  small  struggling  church  i  i  an  oil  town  leased  its  property  for 
an  oil  well,  and  now^  derives  enough  revenue  from  the  well  in  its 
back  3^ard  to  build  a  handsome  house  of  worship  and  still  to  keep 
the  church  treasury  well  replenished.  From  these  centers  pipe 
lines  are  constructed  to  the  oil  markets  and  oil  is  constantly  pumped 
through  these  pipes,  frequently  hundreds  of  miles  in  length,  in- 
stead of  being  shipped  by  rail. 

Prof.  I.  C.  White,  the  foremost  geologist  of  our  State,  who  knows 
more  of  the  mineral  resources  of  West  Virginia  than  probably  any 
other  man,  and  who  has  done  more  for  the  development  of  the  oil 
and  other  resources,  at  a  banquet  given  in  Charleston  two  years 
ago  to  arouse  interest  in  the  then  proposed  World's  Columbian  Ex- 
position, delivered  the  following  address  on  the  oil  of  West  Vir- 
ginia: 

The  desire  to  search  out  new  and  hidden  things  is  universal.  It 
weds  alike  the  astronomer  to  his  telescope,  the  chemist  to  his  cruci- 
ble, the  philosopher  to  thought.  Led  by  this  enchantment,  men 
explore  the  depths  of  the  sea,  delve  into  mountains,  and  seek  to 
penetrate  the  earth  itself  to  unveil  its  hidden  mysteries.  This  all- 
prevailing  impulse  is  the  mainspring  of  human  progress  It  led 
Colonel  Drake  to  drill  the  historic  oil  well  in  the  valley  of  Oil  creek, 
below  Titusville,  w^hich  gave  to  civilization  a  new  illuminant  and  to 
the  business  world  a  new  industry. 

The  credit  of  originating  the  industries  dependent  upon  oil  and 
natural  gas  is  usually  awarded  to  Pennsylvania.  This  is  not  really 
true.  West  Virginia,  and  not  Pennsylvania,  is  the  true  birth  place 
of  both.  Right  here  in  this  beautiful  valley  of  the  Kanawha  was  nat- 
ural gas  first  utilized  for  manufacturing  purposes,  thirty  years  before 
such  use  in  Pennsylvania,  while  from  the  other  Kanawha,  at  Burn- 
ing Springs,  oil  was  shipped  in  barrels  and  a  regular  traffic  in  it 
built  up  many  years  before  Pennsylvania's  first  well  was  drilled. 

In  fact  it  was  right  here  in  the  county  of  Kanawha  (which  gen- 
erally leads  the  procession  in  Imsiness  as  well  as  politics)  that  drill- 
ing tools  and  the  method  of  casing  wells  were  both  invented,  with- 
out which  the  oil  and  gas  industry  would  have  been  impossible.  All 
honor  to  the  memory  of  Col.  Drake  lor  first  conceiving  and  execut- 
ing the  plan  of  drilling  into  the  earth  to  obtain  oil.  But  in  this 
connection  let  us  not  forget  the  names  of  the  RufFner  Brothers, 


Oil  and  Gas.  j() 

whose  busy  brains  invented  "casing ;  nor  "Billy"  Morris,  who  con- 
structed the  first  pair  of  "jars,"  for  without  both  of  these  discoveries 
deep  drilling  would  have  been  impracticable. 

The  question  is  frequently  asked,  why  it  is  that,  if  West  Virginia 
really  contains  so  much  oil,  it  was  not  discovered  and  developed 
along  with  that  of  her  sister  State.  The  answer  is  at  hand.  The 
first  wells  to  find  oil  in  our  State  were  on  the  Little  Kanawha, 
where  a  great  arch  in  the  rocks  throws  the  oil  sands  much  nearer  to 
the  surface  than  elsewhere  in  the  State,  and  hence  it  happened  that 
although  wells  were  drilled  in  nearly  every  county  west  from  the 
Aileghanies,  none  of  them,  until  recent  years,  penetrated  the  earth 
far  enough  to  reach,  the  oil  bearing  rock. 

About  eight  years  ago  your  speaker  took  up  the  serious  study  of 
oil  and  gas  problems  in  Pennsylvania.  The  following  year  I  became 
convinced  that  the  great  oil  belt  of  that  State  would  extend  into 
and  across  our  own.  Acting  on  this  conviction  I  had  a  map  pre- 
pared almost  exactly  like  the  one  you  see  here  now.  This  I  submit- 
ted to  a  Pittsburgh  firm,  and  the  theory  of  a  southern  extension  of 
the  Pennsylvania  field  appeared  so  plausible  to  them  that  they  were 
induced  to  undertake  the  oil  development  of  West  Virginia  on  a 
-large  scale. 

Under  my  direction  over  four  hundred  thousand  acres  of  West 
Virginia  lands  were  leased  by  my  brother,  H.  S.  White,  who  now 
does  business  for  the  United  States.  The  Pittsburgh  syndicate 
drilled  two  wells  on  this  immense  area,  and  erected  about  eight  der- 
ricks. The  first  was  drilled  for  gas  with  which  to  supply  Wheeling. 
Some  gas  was  found,  but  not  as  much  as  the  company  expected. 
The  second  well  was  for  oil,  and  located  near  Board  Tree  Tunnel  at 
the  southwest  corner  of  Pennsylvania.  This  found  only  a  small 
quantity  of  the  golden  fluid.  The  syndicate  was  discouraged.  Its 
President  declared  there  was  neither  oil  nor  gas  in  West  Virginia, 
and  bankruptcy  would  be  the  result  of  any  further  efiort  to  find 
them.  The  "shut  down"  movement  came  on  and  a  propertv  which 
would  have  made  Rockefellers  of  its  owners  was  permitted  "to  lapse 
and  the  leases  to  become  void.  Within  sight  of  the  Board  Tree  ven- 
ture a  valuable  oil  well  was  completed  by  the  Standard  Oil  Company 
during  the  past  year. 
One  of  my  locations,  made  in  1885,  before  Mr.  Hukillhad  drilled 


80 


Oil  and  Gas. 


his  first  well  at  Mt.  Morris,  was  one  6n  the  Youst  farm  near  Fair- 
view,  in  Marion  county.  Here  a  derrick  had  been  erected,  and  I 
plead  with  Pittsburgh  men  to  make  this  test  before  finally  aban- 
doning West  Virginia.  They  were  deaf  to  my  appeal,  and  this  old 
derrick  today  stands  in  the  midst  of  a  dozen  oil  wells,  gushing  from 
100  to  500  barrels  each,  and  sending  2,000  barrels  of  the  finest  oil 
in  the  world  throbbing  through  the  pipe  line  on  its  way  to  the  sea. 
The  Mt.  Morris,  Doll's  Run,  Fairview,  Mannington,  oil  and  gas  field 
whose  southern  end  no  one  has  yet  found,  and  which,  in  my  opin- 
ion will  prove  the  largest  and  richest  oil  and  gas  belt  the  world  has 
,  ever  known,  was  largely  covered  by  the  leases  which  the  Pittsburgh 
syndicate  held. 

Until  the  year  1889  the  oil  magnates  of  the  country  paid  no 
serious  attention  to  West  Virginia.  This  date,  however,  is  a  "red 
letter"  one  in  our  oil  history,  for  it  marks  the  opening  of  Doll's 
Run,  Mannington,  and  the  rise  of  Eureka  to  prominence.  These 
three  developments  brought  the  Standard  Oil  Company  to  realize 
that  here  in  West  Virginia  was  to  be  the  great  oil  field  of  the  future, 
and  that  much  berated  monopoly  has  come  into  our  State  to  take 
possession  of  its  oil  business.  How  many  hundred  thousand  acres 
it  has  leased  or  purchased  I  do  not  know,  but  the  territory  it  con- 
trols is  a  vast  one,  and  the  million  and  a  half  dollars  it  has  expended 
in  building  a  pipe  line  from  Morgantown  to  the  sea  attest  that  it  is 
with  us  to  stay. 

It  is  my  firm  belief  that  this  great  oil  belt,  which  has  come  down 
to  our  State  through  a  distance  of  200  miles,  will  extend  clear  across 
the  same  from  Hancock  to  Logan.  Only  today  I  received  a  tele- 
gram that  a  large  flow  of  gas  had  stopped  the  drill  at  a  well  in  Gil- 
mer, while  Major  Eotchkiss,  the  eminent  Virginian  who  has  so  elo- 
quently depicted  our  rich  mineral  resources  this  evening,  and  who, 
although  a  native  of  another  State,  has  done  more  to  develop  ours 
than  any  citizen  in  it,  tells  me  that  a  well  being  dri.led  by  his  com- 
pany in  Lincoln  has  had  to  shut  down  for  the  same  cause.  The 
gas  wells  at  Warfield,  on  the  Big  Sandy,  and  those  at  Burning 
Springs,  above  this  city,  complete  tne  chain  of  evidence  that  the  oil 
belt  will  extend  entirely  across  our  area  from  the  Pan-Handle  to 
Kentucky,  for  wherever  the  gas  occurs  the  heavier  fluid  is  not  far 
away.    How  much  of  luxury  and  comfort  this  underground  wealth 


Oil  and  Gas. 


81 


will  bring  to  the  home!=^  of  our  State,  no  man  can  estimate,  but  our 
future  in  this  respect  could  not  be  brighter. 

With  the  greatest  coal  field  ia  the  world,  giving  us  an  ample  sup- 
ply of  solid  fuel  for  all  time  to  come  ;  with  this  great  stream  of 
liquid  gold  coursing  through  our  rocks,  only  waiting  to  be  tapped ; 
with  the  largest  fields  of  natural  gas  the  world  has  ever  seen,  to 
bring  comfort  and  ease  to  our  homes,  where  is  the  commonwealth 
whose  future  is  brighter  than  ours?  All  that  we  need  do  is  to  let 
the  world  know  what  we  have.  This  we  must  depend  upon  our 
representatives  now  in  session  in  this  city  to  accomplish.  Business 
men  pay  very  little  attention  to  statements  that  do  not  bear  official 
sanction.  Hence  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  providing  for  a  proper 
display  of  West  Virginia's  resources  at  the  approaching  World's 
Fair  you  will  adopt  a  broad  and  liberal  policy.  And  now  whatever 
you  may  do  be  sure  to  make  provision  for  the  preparation  of  an  ac- 
curate map  of  the  State.  The  miserable  caricatures  that  we  now 
have  that  are  called  maps  of  West  Virginia,  although  infinitely  bet- 
ter than  none,  are  a  disgrace  to  the  State,  so  that  if  you  do  nothing 
else,  at  least  provide  a  splendid  map  upon  which  our  wondrous  re^ 
sources  in  timber,  in  coal,  in  ore,  in  oil  and  gas  can  be  exhibited. 


82 


Fire  Clay 


FIRE  CLAY. 


One  of  the  least  developed  and  at  the  same  time  most  wide-spread 
of  all  the  natural  resources  of  the  State  is  its  clay.  There's  scarcely 
a  county  in  the  State  in  which  there  are  not  found  beds  of  valuable 
clay,  in  few  of  which  it  ha?  been  utilized,  though  in  nearly  all  it 
has  been  tested  and  found  to  be  of  value.  Building  brick  is  made 
at  almost  any  place  and  some  of  them. are  remarkably  fine.  In  the 
Kanawha  valley  the  ordinary  soft  red  brick  are  often  so  smooth  and 
clean  in  their  appearance  as  to  almost  pass  for  pressed  brick.  They 
are  so  hard  that  they  are  used  for  street  paving  and  a  test  block  put 
down  in  Charleston  twenty-one  years  ago  on  a  much  used  street  is 
now  as  good  as  ever.  A  sandy,  clayey  soil  is  used  for  ordinary  brick 
and  its  presence  is  almost  universal  in  the  State. 

But  other  clays,  more  valuable  than  these,  are  found  in  nearly 
every  county  of  the  State  The  fire  clay  is  a  companion  of  the  coal 
measures  and  along  with  the  beds  of  coal  are  nearly  always  found 
beds  of  fire  clay.  Often  they  ma,y  be  mined  together  and  some- 
times, as  is  the  case  in  Hancock  county,  a  seam  of  either  would  be 
too  small  to  work  alone,  but  by  digging  both  from  the  same  mine 
both  are  made  pi;ofitable.  The  uses  to  which  fire  clays  may  be  put 
are  numerous  and  varied  and  the  demand  for  the  products  of  the 
clay  is  rapidly  increasing  As  showing  the  uses  to  which  the  clays 
are  put  we  quote  from  a  report  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  as 
follows : 

"The  uses  made  of  fire  clay  are  best  shown  by  a  brief  statement 
of  the  wares  manufactured  from  them  in  New  Jersey,  since  this 


Fire  Clay.  33 

State  probably  produces  three-fourths  of  the  entire  amount  of  such 
manufactured  articles.  The  largest  use  of  the  white  clays  of  New 
Jersey  is  in  making  fire  brick  and  retorts  for  gas  works  and  zinc 
works.  Refractory  clay  is  also  used  for  making  sewer  pipe  and 
chimney  tops,  and  the  poorer  qualities  are  shipped  in  enormous 
quantities  to  other  States,  to  be  used  there  for  sewer  and  drain  pipe. 
Terra  cotta  is  also  made  from  the  poorer  grades.  Porous  brick  and 
terra  cotta  lumber  are  made  in  large  quantities,  and  are  used  for 
fire-proof  partitions,  doors,  ceilings,  roofs,  etc.,  for  safe  and  refrigera- 
tor linings,  and  for  other  purposes  where  non-conducting  and  fire- 
proof materials  ara^required.  Roofing  tiles  and  hollow  brick  are 
also  made.  These  clays  are  largely  used  by  paper  manufacturers  in 
glazing  and  weighting  paper.  A  considerable  quantity  is  used  in 
the  manufacture  of  alum." 

In  this  State  the  fire-clay  industry  is  growing,  but  paving  brick 
is  the  principal  article  manufactured  from  it.    In  1867  there  were 
less  than  seven  million  fire  brick  made  in  the  State.    In  1892,  in 
Hancock  county  alone-the  principal  fire-clay  county  of  the  State 
—some  seventy  million  brick  were  made,  besides  sewer  pipe  tile 
and  pottery.    In  1872  the  first  brick  roadway  ever  paved  was  made 
in  Charleston.    It  was  a  West  Virginia  invention  and  a  small 
square  was  put  down  as  an  experiment.    It  proved  to  be  a  great 
success,  and  now  in  many  of  the  larger  cities  of  the  Union,  as  well 
as  in  the  smaller  ones,  the  system  of  paving  streets  with  brick  is 
the  one  most  universally  adopted.    Within  the  last  few  years  this 
system  has  been  coming  more  generally  into  practice,  and  with  the 
growing  demand  for  paving  comes  the  increased  demand  for  paving 
brick.    In  the  experience  of  practiced  engineers  the  fire  brick, 
made  of  the  fire-clay  which  is  found  almost  at  any  place  in  West 
Virginia,  is  unsurpassed.    The  brick  is  hard  and  lasting,  does  not 
crack  or  crumble  or  decay  and  lasts  much  longer  than  the  soft- 
burned  brick  with  which  the  first  street  pavements  were  all  laid 
The  growing  popularity  of  the  brick-paving  system  and  the  excel- 
lence, for  that  purpose,  of  the  clays  of  West  Virginia,  will  give  to 
them  an  increased  value  and  make  more  profitable  even  than  in  the 
past  the  fire-clay  beds  which  so  abound. 

Another  use  to  which  it  may  be  put,  which  helps  to  give  a  value 
to  the  clay,  is  the  making  of  coke  ovens.    Already  it  has  been 


84 


Fire  Clay. 


shown  that  making  coke  is  one  of  the  principal  and  most  rapidly 
increasing  industries  in  the  State.  Coke  ovens  must  be  built  in 
which  to  burn  the  coal  in  the  process  of  coke-making,  and  here  the 
clay,  which  seems  to  follow  up  the  seams  of  coal,  comes  into  special 
service.  The  manufacture  of  tile  and  sewer  pipe  and  chimney 
pots,  etc.,  brings  into  great  demand  the  best  fire-clays,  but  the  prin- 
cipal use  from  which  the  chief  value  of  the  clay  is  to  be  derived,  is 
in  the  making  of  fire-brick  for  paving  and  for  making  coke  ovens. 
In  making  brick  for  both  these  purposes  there  is  considerable  profit. 
Good  fire-clay  may  be  found  in  many  places,  plants  for  working  it 
are  not  expensive,  and  the  past  has  proved  that  there  is  money  in 
it  and  that  those  who  embark  in  the  fire  clay  business  receive  a 
rich  reward  for  their  investments. 

The  varied  uses  to  which  it  may  be  put,  the  increasing  demand 
for  the  products  of  fire  clay,  the  excellence  of  our  clay  and  the 
cheapness  with  which  it  may  be  worked,  all  go  to  indicate  that  in 
this  line  a  great  industry  will  be  built  up  among  the  people  of  our 
State.  Already,  as  shown  above,  the  paving  brick  industry  has  in- 
creased remarkably  and,  with  the  new  demands  for  brick  to  pave 
with,  must  continue  to  increase  at  least  as  fast  as  it  has  in  the 
past,  and  there  are  those  who  now  most  confidently  predict  that 
West  Virginia  will  ere  long  outstrip  New  Jersey  in  this  line  and 
stand  at  the  head  of  all  the  States  in  the  manufacture  of  fire  clay 
products. 

Prof.  M.  F.  Maury,  describing  fire  clay,  says:  "Fire  clay  is  fre- 
quently found  in  the  coal  measures,  often  underlying  a  seam  of  coal. 
It  results  from  the  decomposition  of  siliceo-argillaceous  shale,  and 
its  plasticity  and  impervious  nature,  when  collected  in  a  bed,  pre- 
vents it  from  being  carried  away  by  infiltration." 

C.  E.  Dwight,  speaking  of  a  Marion  county  clay,  says :  "The  clay 
is  superior  to  the  Mt.  Savage  (Pa  )  clay,  which  has  obtained  such  a 
reputation  here  in  Wheeling  as  to  exclude  all  other  clay  for  blast 
iurnace  use.  The  analysis  of  Mt.  Savage  clay  shows  1.5  per  cent, 
of  rotoxide  of  iron,  while  this  clay  has  no  trace  of  this  greatest 
enemy  to  the  refractory  nature  of  fire-clays  " 

Beds  of  fire-clay  may  be  found  in  all  parts  of  the  State.  In  Han- 
cock county  the  greatest  development  has  been  made,  but  in  nearly 
every  other  county  clays  of  varying  value  may  be  found.    The  beds 


Fire  Clay. 


85 


range  from  several  inches  to  many  feet  in  thickness,  and  are  mostly 
found  beneath  the  level  of  tlie  cartli. 

Analyses  of  a  few  of  the  fire-clays  found  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  State  are  as  follows  : 


Silica  

Alumina  

Oxide  of  Iron  

Lime  

M  akinesia  

Potash  and  Soda  

Moistuft',  hyyrroscopic 
Moisture,  cunibiued.  . 

Organic  matter  


Marion 

Preston 

Mononf^alia 

County. 

County. 

County. 

45.86 

68.16 

54.  27 

44.23 

a4. 11 

33.  83 

0.00 

O.OI 

0.01 

0.24 

trace. 

trM.c". 

0.36 

tract'. 

0.02 

trace. 

tract'. 

trJice. 

0.70 

0.  85 

1.00 

6.66 

10.86 

8.  35 

trace. 

0.15 

POTTER'S  CLAY. 

I     'This  clay/'  says  Prof.  Maury,  "resu'ts  from  the  decomposition  of 
granite  and  shales.    That  in  West  Virginia  comes  from  the  latter 
source  entirely,  of  which  there  is  great  abundance  and  variety,  so 
I  that  we  may  look  for  very  many  deposits  of  the  material.    When  it 
I  is  yellow  or  red  it  denotes  the  presence  of  oxide  of  iron,  which 
I  tinges  the  manufactured  articles  red.    When  the  clay  is  white  there 
'  is  no  iron  present.    Potter's  clay  has  a  peculiarly  unctious  feel  and 
has  the  valuable  property  of  resisting  heat  without  cracking." 

Though  not  so  plentiful  as  the  fire  clay  there  is  still  a  great  deal 
1  of  the  potter's  clay  throughout  the  State,  much  of  it  being  found 
along  with  or  near  to  the  fire  clay.    The  uses  to  which  it  may  be 
I  put  are  not  so  varied  as  those  which  give  its  value  to  the  fire  c'ay 
and  yet  the  finer  grades  of  work  for  which  it  is  adapted  give  to  the 
i  potter's  clay  more  value  than  to  the  other.    For  making  crocks  and 
jugs  and  jars  and  other  pottery  wares  the  finest  kind  of  clays  are 
found  in  West  Virginia.    This  is  no  theory  but  a  fact  amply  demon- 
strated by  years  of  practical  illustration.    At  many  places  in  the 
,3tate  the  clay  is  now  in  use,  and  various  kind^  of  earthenware  are 
daily  made.    Some  of  the  works  have  been  in  operation  many 
y'ears  and  always  tound  a  market  for  their  products.    In  fact  the 
borne  demand  has  never  been  supplied  with  home  production.  The 
3anning  season  never  comes  but  with  it  come  great  quantities  of 
lars  and  earthenware  from  Pennsylvania  or  some  other  State  besides 


86 


Fire  Clay. 


our  own.  Every  year  immense  amounts  of  earthenware  in  the 
shape  of  jars  and  jugs  and  crocks  come  in  from  other  States  while  in 
our  own  lies  hid  beneath  the  surface  of  the  earth  the  finest  kind  of 
clay  in  quantities  ample  to  supply  not  only  this  but  many  other 
States  with  all  they  need.  The  kind  most  often  found  and  used  the 
most  extensively  is  a  white  clay  which  burns  into  a  sort  of  blue. 
In  counties  in  almost  every  section  of  the  State  these  clays  are  to  be 
found.  From  the  northern  extremity  to  the  southern  it  may  at  in- 
tervals be  found  and  probably  in  nearly  every  county  ol  the  State 
it  would  be  disclosed  if  properly  sought.  These  potter's  clays  with 
the  fire  clays  previously  mentioned  will  some  day  make  of  West 
Virginia  the  greatest  clay  working  State  in  the  Union. 

When  improved  processes  are  learned  for  making  aluminum  and 
that  metal  which  promises  to  attain  such  an  important  position 
among  the  metals  of  the  world  comes  into  universal  use,  the  clays 
of  West  Virginia  will  play  a  most  important  part  in  its  production. 
From  nearly  every  kind  of  clay  now  found  in  West  Virginia 
aluminum  may  be  made.  The  material  is  here,  the  product  is  in 
demand.  A  simpler  process  for  its  manufacture  is  all  that  is  needed 
to  bring  it  into  general  use  and  give  intrinsic  value  to  the  clays  for 
which  our  hills  are  famous. 


Stone. 


87 


STONE. 


A  straight  line  drawn  from  the  southwest  corner  of  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  directly  southward  through  the  center  of  West  Vir- 
ginia would  describe  roughly  the  western  border  of  the  limestone 
section  of  our  State.  In  some  of  the  counties  west  of  this  good 
limestone  may  be  found,  but  east  of  it  are  the  principal  limestone 
counties  of  the  State.  In  many  of  the  best  of  these  the  limestone 
soil  is  equal  to  the  very  best  in  the  famous]limestone  belt  of  Ken- 
tucky. 

In  the  "Resources  of  West  Virginia,"  Prof.  Maury,  writing  of  the 
common  limestone,  says : 

"In  great  abundance  and  of  great  purity,  this  stone  is  found  in 
the  region  between  the  coal  measures  and  the  eastern  border  of  the 
State.  In  the  counties  in  the  coal  formation  in  the  northern  half  of 
the  State  it  is  also  very  abundant,  the  Lower  Barrens  and  the 
superincumbent  strata  containing,  in  some  districts,  an  aggregate 
of  75  to  80  feet. 

"In  the  southern  counties  of  the  coal  field  there  is  a  striking 
scarcity  of  this  mineral,  the  seams  being  thin  and  usually  of  very 
poor  quality. 

"The  limestones  of  West  Virginia  are  suitable  to  all  the  purposes 
of  the  farmer,  builder  and  blast  furnace  use.  Where  there  is  so 
much  land  that  would  be  most  materially  benefitted  by  the  use  of 
lime,  this  material  should  attract  the  attention  of  the  agriculturist 
far  more  than  it  does.  Indeed  it  is  rather  a  matter  of  surprise  that 
the  agriculture  of  this  State  has  hitherto  been  suffered  to  reap  so 
little  benefit  from  this  source  of  improvement  so  easily  within 
reach.  As  yet,  its  application  as  a  manure  has  been  restricted  to 
particular  neighborhoods,  though  there  is  no  portion  of  the  uplands, 


88 


Stone. 


especially  of  the  limestone  regions  themselves,  where  it  could  not 
be  used  advantageously.  The  impression  that  the  soils  of  a  lime- 
stone country  are  already  impregnated  with  calcareous  matter,  in 
consequence  of  the  proximity  of  the  limestone,,  which  in  many 
places  rises  to  the  surface  in  the  fields,  seems  more  than  any  other 
circumstance  to  have  lead  to  the  erroneous  idea  that  lime  could  be 
of  no  benefit  to  the  soil.  It  may,  therefore,  alter  the  opinions  of 
many  to  state  tha't  in  a  great  many  cases  the  soils,  even  when  in 
contact  with  this  class  of  rock  of  the  best  quality,  contain  little 
or  no  available  calcareous  matter,  for  to  have  it  the  material  must 
be  in  the  form  of  a  soluble  salt,  and  the  ledges  which  crop  out  on 
the  surface  are  carbonate  of  lime,  which  may  be  said  to  be  insoluble 
for  all  practical  purposes.  When,  however,  it  is  burnt  and  applied 
to  the  land  as  quick-lime,  it  imparts  fertility  partly  by  being  dis- 
solved in  the  surface  waters,  and  so  passing  into  the  soil  in  such  a 
shape  that  the  roots  of  plants  can  seize  hold  of  it,  but  mainly  by 
tending  to  decompose  vegetable  matter  and  so  form  a  fertilizing 
humus." 

The  following  are  analyses  from  various  portions  of  the  State,  and 
will  tend  to  show  the  great  purity  in  which  this  mineral  may  be 
found  : 


Locality. 


Knobly  Mountain... 

Near  Pet(M-sl)ur<i  

Port  Spriii;^-  

On  C.  cV-  O.  R.  R  ... 
hJlue  Sulphnr  Spring;' 
Muddy  Cr(?el<  Mt  ... 

Near  Llark.sburg  

Harper's  P'errv.  .  . 
r2  miles  S.  W.  H.  F. . 
4     •'  W 

t^rson's  '  reelv  . . 
(j  reii  villc  l^'urnarOe  . . 
lied  Sulphur  Spriii;4> 

Ihiion  

Duul.'ip's  Cr.'ek  

LitMc  North  Ml  

Willow  c;r,,v.'  

.)(!iil<ins'  fjiine-]\  iln. 
Richar<l  l''orcina n\s . 
iJelow  (JoaJ  No.  2.  . . 


a 

90.08 
88.52 
90.11 
93.76 
98.20 
88.64 
95.  52 
81.16 
58.  88 
95.86 
92.  44 
88 . 32 
90 , 92 
95 . 92 
86.52 
78.  48 
85.95 
88.  16 
91 .80 
79.52 


o  ■ 

Hi- 
tter. 

0) 

sS  o 

^  S 

a 

a 

O  01; 

lumin 
Oxide 

3  3 

og 

.'ater  8 
Loss. 

Authoritx . 

o 

< 

4.00 

0.72 

4.56 

0.64 

W.  B.  Rogers. 

.3.24 

1.52 

6.00 

0.72 

2  49 

2.02 

5.04 

0.34 

.J.  H.  Uritton. 

0.29 

1.12 

3.  92 

o.y 

<J.  E.  Dwi-ht 

0.00 

0.48 

0.40 

0.92 

\V.  U.  Rogers. 

9.60 

0.12 

1.20 

0.44 

1.88 

0.96 

0.92 

0.72 

10.  SO 

0.52 

6.  68 

0.84 

43.40 

0.48 

1.68 

0.56 

1.46 

trace. 

1,83 

0.  85 

1.40 

0.76 

4.96 

0.68 

0.00 

2.52 

7.21 

1.92 

trace. 

1.20 

6.20 

1.68 

0.56 

1.88 

1.62 

9.52 

0.52 

2.96 

0.48 

9.  20 

1  .00 

10  80 

0.52 

1.38 

4.10 

7.61 

0.96 

C.  E  Dwight. 

2 . 32 

1.16 

5.80 

2.. 56 

W.  B.  Rogers. 

5.72 

0.40 

1.36 

1.72 

2.80 

3.12 

13  80 

0.  76 

Stone. 


89 


A  tufa  limestone  is  found  in  some  of  the  eastern  border  counties 
of  the  State.  *'It  is  formed  by  the  precipitation  of  calcareous  mat- 
ter from  limestone  water  and  may  therefore  be  looked  for  in  those 
neighborhoods  where  the  springs  thus  impregnated  are  of  general 
occurrence."  In  some  of  the  counties  thick  deposits  of  this  chalky 
material  are  found.    Prof.  Maury  says  : 

"Its  utility  in  agriculture,  added  to  the  facility  with  which  the 
deposit  may  often  be  obtained  (no  quarrying  being  necessary  to 
separate  it  from  the  mass),  renders  it  a  very  advantageous  substi- 
tute for  the  limestones  of  the  same  neighborhood.    Moreover  it 
should  be  remembered  that  in  its  more  friable  and  powdery  state, 
it  may,  as  in  Europe,  be  very  beneficially  applied  as  a  marl  without 
being  burnt     Although  it  is  of  the  same  composition  as  limestone, 
yet  when  it  is  spread  on  the  ground  in  a  pulverized  state,  it  pre- 
sents so  large  a  surface  to  the  action  of  the  carbonic  acid  that  exists 
in  the  atmosphere,  and  is  generated  by  the  decay  and  decomposi- 
tion of  vegetable  matter,  that  a  portion  of  it  is  converted  into  a  sol- 
uble bi-carbonate  of  lime,  which  can  then  be  taken  up  by  the  soil. 
But  as  this  chemical  change  is  slow,  a  larger  quantity  has  to  be  ap- 
plied to  the  land,  than  if  it  was  first  burnt.    If  the  ordinary  pure 
limestone  was  ground  to  powder,  it  would  have  the  same  effect,  but 
the  expense  forbids  it  being  done,  and  besides,  burning  the  hard 
stone  is  cheaper,  as  well  as  produces  a  more  active  fertilizer.  The 
immense  improvement  that  tide-water  Virginia  has  derived  from 
calcareous  marl  must  render  any  illustration  of  its  beneficial  effects 
quite  superfluous,  when  it  is  understood  that  its  composition  cannot 
be  distinguished  from  the  better  classes  of  pulverulent  marls,  inde- 
pendent of  which  its  value  has  been  unequivocally  tested  in  other 
countries,  where  it  has  been  found  to  have  the  most  decided  amel- 
iorating effects  upon  land  to  which  it  is  properly  applied." 

Hydraulic  limestone  is  found  in  many  portions  of  the  State,  par- 
ticularly in  the  north-eastern  part  where  much  cement  is  made  from 
it.  In  Berkeley  and  Jefferson  counties  the  burning  of  lime  and 
cement  form  an  important  industry  and  give  employment  to  a 
great  many  men.  In  a  few  other  counties  lime  is  made  but  not  in 
any  quantity,  though  nearly  all  in  the  district  named  above  have 
stone  from  which  excellent  lime  might  be  burned. 


i 

I 


90 


Stone. 


MARBLE. 

True  marbles  are  not  found  in  great  quantities,  but  there  are  in  all 
the  eastern  counties,  along  the  Alleghany  range  carbonates  of  lime 
which  much  resemble  them  and  in  places  true  marbles  do  exist.  In 
the  descriptions  following  of  the  counties  of  Greenbrier,  Hampshire, 
Jefferson,  Monroe,  Pocahontas  and  others,  some  accounts  will  be 
found  of  the  marbles  which  exist  in  those  counties.  Nothing  has 
ever  been  done  toward  their  development,  principally  for  the  reason 
that  they  are  found  in  the  most  mountainous  and  inaccessible  por- 
tions of  the  State,  but  as  pretty  specimens  of  black  and  white  mar- 
bles as  were  ever  seen  have  been  taken  from  the  mountains  of  our 
State,  and  once  within  the  reach  o-f  railroads  the  opening  of  the 
marble  quarries  is  assured. 

BUILDING  STONE. 

Most  excellent  building  stone  abounds  throughout  the  State.  The 
hard  and  flinty  limestone  which  is  thickly  scattered  over  a  great 
part  of  the  State  makes  the  most  substantial  and  durable  of  build- 
ing stones,  and  many  buildings  made  of  it  have  stood  the  wear  and 
tear  of  time  for  more  than  a  century. 

In  Jefferson  county  a  fine  variety  of  building  limestone  is  found. 
It  is  quarried  in  large  quantities  and  finds  a  ready  market.  Many 
tons  of  it  have  been  floated  in  barges  down  the  Potomac  where  some 
of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  national  capital  attest  its  beauty  and 
its  value  as  a  building  stone. 

At  Weston  the  West  Virginia  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  a  building 
of  from  three  to  five  stories  in  height  and  with  a  frontage  of  over 
1 600  feet,  is  built  entirely  of  a  native  blue  sandstone.  It  is  a  splen- 
did stone,  does  not  crumble,  is  hard  and  durable  and  very  pretty. 

In  the  Great  Kanawha  valley  is  a  white  sandstone  which  has  been 
extensively  used,  in  the  construction  of  the  State  capitol,  the  hand- 
some Kanawha  county  court  house,  the  government  locks  of  the 
Great  Kanawha  improvement,  bridge  piers  in  the  Kanawha  and 
Ohio  rivers  and  for  many  other  purposes.  The  stone  is  peculiarly 
adapted  to  use  beneath  the  water,  resisting  the  action  of  the  water 
and  lasting  for  years  with  no  indication  of  decay.  In  the  New  river 
valley  near  Hinton  is  a  similar  stone  which  has  been  used  exclu- 


Stone. 


91 


sively  by  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railway  Company  in  the  con- 
struction of  its  piers  on  the  seaboard,  the  stone  being  taken  from 
that  place  because  of  its  peculiar  fitness  for  the  ocean  use  for  which 
it  was  intended. 

Near  Hinton  also,  in  Summers,  Greenbrier  and  Monroe  counties 
along  the  line  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  railway  are  ledges  of  red 
and  brown  sandstone  of  considerable  value.  The  brown  stone  is  a 
beautiful  one,  of  unvarying  color,  fine  grain,  hard  and  durable. 
Specimens  of  it  are  seen  in  some  of  the  handsomest  buildings  not 
only  in  this  State  but  in  eastern  cities  as  well,  where  it  has  been 
shipped  in  large  quantities 

GRINDSTONE  GRITS. 

In  several  places  in  the  State  good  grits  are  found  for  making 
grindstones,  whetstones,  etc.  Near  Parkersburg,  on  the  Ohio  side  of 
the  river,  the  largest  grindstone  works  in  the  United  States  are  said 
to  be  located,  and  the  same  ledge  of  stone  is  found  on  the  West 
Virginia  side  of  the  river.  Good  grits  for  millstones,  whetstones, 
etc.,  are  found  in  many  other  counties  of  the  State. 

GLASS  SAND. 

In  Morgan  county,  near  the  Berkeley  Springs,  is  a  ridge  of  sand- 
stone, which  when  crushed  yields  a  beautiful  white  sand  of  excep- 
tional purity.  It  is  about  the  best  glass  sand  found  in  the  United 
States,  and  large  quantities  of  it  are  shipped  to  points  where  glass 
is  made.  Great  quarries  are  scattered  along  the  ridge  where  the 
sand  is  gotten  out  and  crushed  and  daily  heavy  shipments  are  made. 
The  supply  of  sand  is  almost  inexhaustible  and  being  of  unusual 
purity  and  easily  secured  affords  a  source  of  considerable  wealth  to 
the  county. 

In  Hampshire  county  is  a  similar  ridge  of  glass  sand,  but  from 
this  little  has  ever  been  shipped.  It  is  a  splendid  sand,  said  by 
some  to  even  surpass  the  Morgan  county  sand.  It  is  found  in 
great  quantities  and  is  of  exceptional  purity  and  whiteness. 

In  Marion  county  an  excellent  glass  sand  is  also  found  and  used 
in  the  glass  works  at  Fairmont.  la  Monongalia,  Kanawha  and  other 
counties  good  sand  is  found,  but  little  used. 


92 


Stone. 


MANGANESE. 

This  important  ingredient  in  the  manufacture  of  steel,  which  is 
largely  used  for  other  purposes  as  well,  is  found  in  more  or  less 
purity  in  nearly  all  the  eastern  counties  of  the  State  along  with  the 
iron  ores.  It  is  found  as  a  black  oxide  of  manganese,  frequently 
containing  a  large  per  cent,  of  manganese.  Analyses  of  a  few  sam- 
ples will  be  found  in  the  table  of  analyses  of  iron  ores  on  one  of 
the  preceding  pages. 

Graphite  is  found  in  Hampshire  county,  and  will  be  described 
in  the  following  pages,  under  the  heading  of  Hampshire  county. 

Gypsum,  or  plaster  paris,  is  found  in  one  locality  of  Greenbrier 
county  and  will  be  mentioned  under  that  heading. 

Ochre  is  found  in  several  counties  of  the  State — notably  in  Lewis, 
Hardy,  Pendleton,  Wayne  and  Cabell,  but  no  developments  of  it 
have  ever  been  made.    Other  mineral  paints  are  found  in  places. 

Saltpetre  is  found  in  some  of  the  caves  of  the  lime.- tone  region 
in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  State. 

Gold  and  Silver  ores  are  often  found  in  the  mountainous  regions 
of  the  AUeghanies,  but  they  contain  at  best  but  slight  traces  of 
these  precious  metals,  and  only  serve  to  raise  delusive  hopes.  There 
is  no  gold  or  silver  of  value  in  the  State  despite  the  finding  of  these 
ores. 

Lead  in  small  fragments  is  found  in  many  of  the  counties  of  the 
State,  and  in  some  of  them  enough  was  one  time  found  to  enable 
the  pioneer  settlers  to  run  their  own  bullets  out  of  native  lead. 
Many  stories  are  in  circulation  of  hidden  veins  of  lead  from  which 
the  Indians  moulded  ornaments  and  balls,  but  none  of  the  veins 
have  ever  yet  been  found.  There  is  more  lead  than  gold  or  silver  in 
the  State,  but  not  enough  to  be  of  any  value,  or  to  warrant  the 
mention  of  lead  as  one  of  the  resources  of  the  State. 

Of  Zinc,  Tin  and  Copper  much  the  same  thing  may  be  said,  ex- 
cept that  the  quantities  in  which  they  exist  are  even  smaller  than 
the  lead.  A  few  scattering  ores  containing  little  of  the  metal  are 
found  in  some  of  the  mountain  counties,  but  zinc  or  tin  or  copper 
never  will  amount  to  anything  in  West  Virginia. 


Mineral  Waters. 


03 


MINERAL  WATERS. 


Throughout  the  mineral  region  of  the  State  are  many  mineral 
springs,  the  waters  of  which,  holding  in  solution  various  chemi- 
cals gathered  from  the  soil,  are  of  great  value  as  medicinal  waters. 
Following  the  Alleghany  range  which  forms  the  eastern  border  of 
the  State,  and  about  equally  divided  by  the  State  boundary  is  the 
mineral  spring  region  of  the  two  Virginias.  Throughout  this  re- 
gion springs  abound,  and  for  many  yeais  the  numerous  hotels  that 
have  been  built  around  them  have  been  frequented  by  hundreds  of 
those  from  all  parts  of  the  country  who  go  each  year  in  search  of 
health  or  pleasure. 

The  eastern  part  is  not  the  only  one  in  which  these  springs  are 
found,  but  more  of  them  are  there  than  in  any  other  portion. 
There's  hardly  a  county  in  the  State  but  has  some  mineral  spring 
of  value,  and  while  in  money  value  the  springs  of  West  Virginia 
are  not  among  her  chief  resources,  if  valued  by  their  capability  to 
bring  health  and  comfort  to  humanity,  and  restore  the  strength  and 
vigor  so  often  lost,  the  springs  are  certainly  among  our  best  resources. 
As  health  and  the  consequent  happiness  are  more  to  be  desired  than 
riches  the  springs  of  West  Virginia  are  probably  of  more  real  ben- 
efit to  mankind  than  all  the  coal  or  iron  or  timber  in  the  State. 

A  writer  in  "Resources  of  West  Virginia,"  prepared  under  the 
direction  of  the  State  Board  of  Centennial  Managers  in  1876,  de- 
scribes the  springs  of  W^est  Virginia  as  follows  : 

"The  springs  of  this  State  present  considerable  variety  of  chem- 


94 


Mineral  Waters. 


ical  character,  and  therapeutic  adaptation — comprising  various  and 
differently  compounded  sulphur  waters;  the  chalybeates,  simple,  and 
compounded ;  the  acidulous,  or  carbonated ;  the  saline ;  the  alumi- 
nated  chalybeates;  with  thermal  waters,  not  of  very  high  tempera- 
ture. 

"Of  these  springs,  the  sulphur  waters,  so  far  as  such  springs  have 
yet  been  developed,  are  found  in  greatest  abundance,  and  in  great- 
est strength,  on  the  southern  border  of  the  State,  and  on  the  west- 
ern and  northern  slopes  of  the  Alleghany  mountains.  The  simple 
chalybeates  are  found  in  every  great'  section  of  the  State,  but  in 
greatest  strength,  so  far  as  they  have  been  tested,  along  the  course 
of  the  great  Appalachian  ranges,  extending  from  the  northeastern 
to  the  southwestern  extremities  of  the  State.  The  acidulous  car- 
bonated waters,  as  well  as  the  aluminated  chalybeates,  are  found  in 
different  parts  of  the  State,  but  have  been  most  developed  on  its 
southern  border. 

"The  most  valuable  mineral  waters  of  the  State,  so  far  as  they 
have  been  tested  in  the  treatment  of  diseases,  are  the  sulphurous, — 
the  alum  waters,  as  they  are  called  commonly,  and  the  compound 
acidulated  waters.  The  latter  especially,  are  generally  found  adja- 
cent to  faults  in  the  strata,  or  where  the  rocks  give  evidence  of  dis- 
placement from  their  natural  position,  and  near  the  juction  of  slates 
with  limestone. 

"The  alum  waters,  so  far  as  I  have  ever  known,  are  an  infiltration 
tbrough  slate,  which  generally  lies  a  few  feet  below  the  surface  of 
the  earth,  but  often  cropping  out  considerably  above  it.  I  have  ex- 
amined numerous  specimens  of  these  waters,  obtained  from  different 
sections,  and  found  them  all  to  possess  the  leading  chemical  charac- 
teristic of  the  springs  of  this  class,  which  have  been  brought  into 
popular  use. 

"My  observations  are  to  the  effect  that  the  mineral  waters  of  the 
State  generally,  and  certainly  those  within  the  ranges  of  the  disturb- 
ances of  the  rocks  so  common  in  the  southern  section  of  the  State, 
are  slightly  thermal,  compared  with  the  temperature  of  the  common 
springsin  their  vicinity,  or  of  the  earth  through  which  they  flow.  The 
decided  thermal  waters,  some  of  them  running  up  as  high  as  107°, 
are  found  immediately  on  the  eastern  slopes  of  the   Alleghany  in 


Mineral  Waters.  95 

Virginia,  and  within  a  few  miles  of  the  southern  border  of  West 
Virginia." 

The  Berkeley  Springs  at  the  town  of  that  name,  the  county 
seat  of  Morgan  county,  are  among  the  leading  and  longest  known 
mineral  springs  in  West  Virginia.  They  aie  owned  by  the  State, 
and  are  in  the  care  of  a  board  of  trustees  appointed  by  the  Governor, 
by  and  with  the  consent  of  the  Senate.  The  waters  are  very  valua- 
ble in  cases  of  rheumatism  and  kindred  diseases.  Bath  houses, 
swimming  pools,  etc.,  are  provided  by  the  State.  The  water  comes 
from  very  bold  springs  which  flow  enough  to  create  constantly  a 
good  sized  stream  of  fast  flowing  water.  The  temperature  remains 
always  at  74  degrees  Fahrenheit,  never  varying  in  summer  or  win- 
ter. In  the  Colonial  days  before  the  Revolutionary  war.  General 
George  Washington  and  other  makers  of  history  were  among  the 
visitors  at  the  Berkeley  Springs,  and  the  reputation  of  the  water 
given  to  it  more  than  a  century  ago,  has  always  been  retained.  In 
cases  of  nervous  disorders,  rheumatism,  debility,  etc,  they  have 
effected  many  cures. 

The  White  Sulphur  Springs,  in  Greenbrier  county,  are  among 
the  most  noted  of  the  fashionable  summer  resorts  of  the  country 
and  are  visited  annually  by  thousands  of  people,  particularly  from 
the  south.  Hotel  capacity  at ''the  White"  is  ample  to  accommo- 
date from  1,-500  to  2,000  people  and  in  the  season  there  are  nearly 
always  visitors  enough  to  tax  accommodations  to  the  utmost.  The 
water  contains  sulphates  of  lime,  magnesia  and  soda  and  other  in- 
gredients and  flows  at  a  uniform  temperature  of  62  degrees  at  the 
rate  of  over  30  gallons  a  minute.  The  use  of  the  water  is  very 
benefical  in  many  cases,  its  influence  on  the  system  h^ixig  cathartic, 
diuretic,  sudorific  and  alterative.  Bath  houses  are  supplied  for  exter- 
nal as  well  as  internal  application  of  the  waters.  The  spring  is  at 
an  altitude  of  2,000  feet  above  sea  level  and  the  fresh  air  and  beauti- 
ful mountain  scenery  combine  to  make  the  springs  a  pleasant  place 
ito  visit. 

The  Salt  Sulphur  Springs,  in  Monroe  county,  are  another  popu- 
lar resort.  The  water  contains  much  the  same  ingredients  as  that 
of  the  White  Sulphur  Springs,  though  in  different  proportions.  It 
IS  a  very  popular  resort  for  health  and  pleasure. 

The  Red  Sulphur  Springs,  also  in  Monroe  county,  have  had  for 


96 


Mineral  Waters. 


years  a  high  reputation  for  their  effect  in  the  treatment  of  lung  dis- 
eases. 

The  Old  Sweet  Springs,  in  Monroe  county,  are  among  the  oldest 
resorts  in  the  Virginias,  which  have  constantly  been  kept  up  and 
maintained  their  reputation.  The  waters  contain  much  the  same 
ingredients  as  those  of  the  White  and  Salt  Sulphur  Springs. 

Capon  Springs,  in  Hampshire  county,  are  unlike  any  of  the  other 
springs  of  the  State,  containing  silicic  acid,  soda,  magnesia,  bromine, 
iodine  and  carbonic  acid.  The  water  is  beneficial  both  as  a  bath 
and  a  beverage. 

Pence's  Spring,  in  Summers  county,  has  recently  acquired  a  con- 
siderable reputation  and  while  the  accommodations  for  visitors  are 
few,  many  are  using  the  water  and  all  with  beneficial  results. 

The  Webster  Springs,  at  Addison,  in  Webster  county,  have  for 
many  years  afforded  relief  to  many  persons  suffering  with  stomach 
troubles.  The  springs  are  1430  feet  above  sea  level  and  surrounded 
by  mountains  as  much  as  1400  feet  higher.  The  s^prings  contain 
sulphur  and  salt  and  after  a  short  time  the  water  becomes  very  pal- 
atable. 

In  all  the  counties  along  the  eastern  border  springs  are 
numerous,  and  space  forbids  the  mention  of  them  all.  In  almost 
every  county  waters  of  more  or  less  medicinal  virtue  have  been 
found  and  have  attained  a  local  reputation. 


AGRfCULTURir. 


97 


AGRICULTURE. 


Except  in  some  of  the  older  portions  of  the  State  where  experi- 
ence has  taught  the  value  of  the  soil,  the  proper  attention  is  not 
paid  in  this  State  to  agriculture.    While  much  of  the  State  is  moun- 
tainous and  rocky,  there  are  on  the  other  hand  some  lands  as  fine 
for  agricultural  purposes  as  ever  the  sun  shone  upon,  and  there  is 
scarcely  in  the  State  a  square  mile  of  earth  that  is  not  fitted  for 
some  kind  of  agriculture.    The  rough  character  of  much  of  the 
land,  the  thinness  of  our  population,  the  difficulty  of  reaching  a 
market  with  the  products  of  the  farm,  have  all  combined  to  preve'^nt 
the  tilhng  of  the  soil,  and  hardly  grain  and  garden  stuff  enough  are 
raised  to  supply  the  demands  of  the  population  of  the  State  while 
much  should  be  exported.    "The  way  in  which  the  State  was  set- 
tled," says  Professor  Fontaine,  ''and  the  consequent  habits  of  her 
inhabitants,  have  been  unfavorable  to  the  existence  of  extensive  or 
skilled  farming,  and  have  directed  the  industry  of  the  people  into 
almost  every  other  channel.    The  original  settlers  were  to  a  large 
extent  men  without  means,  who,  on  entering  this  country,  then  cut 
off  Irom  all  exit  to  market,  were  content  to  clear  small  patches  of 
ground,  whose  generous  response  to  even  poor  cultivation,  yielded 
returns  sufficient  to  supply  their  limited  wants.     His  little  'clear- 
ing,' selected  in  the  most  convenient  spot,  was  cultivated  by  the 
pioneer  year  after  year,  in  corn,  and  vegetables,  which  served  to 
support  his  family,  along  with  a  hog  or  two,  and  possibly  a  hor^e 
and  a  cow,  and  with  fowls,  and  the  abundant  game  in  the  forests 
around,  there  was  abundance  of  meat  and  bread     Even  now  in 
many  parts  of  the  State  thin  is  the  mode  of  life. 


98 


Agriculture. 


"When  the  original  clearing  was  exhausted  by  long  tillage,  an 
addition  was  made  by  felling  more  timber.  Thus  the  cleared  lands 
gradually  grew  around  the  cabins,  until  extensive  openings  were 
made,  but  still  without  causing  attempts  at  establishing  communi- 
cation with  the  outside  world.  This  independent  mode  of  life  im- 
pressed upon  the  people  habits  of  thought  and  action,  which,  though 
calculated  to  foster  industry,  frugality  and  hardiness,  were  not  most 
favorable  for  the  promotion  of  undertakings  which  require  commu- 
nication with,  and  dependence  upon,  other  countries 

"We  see  at  the  present  day  the  influence  of  this  training.  Until 
of  late  West  Virginians  have  paid  bnt  small  attention  to  the  raising 
of  agricultural  products  for  exportation.  They  are  usually  content 
with  the  production  of  a  sufficiency  for  home  consumption.  But 
rarely  is  an  improved  system  of  farming  employed,  and  the  culti- 
vation is  of  the  rudest  kind.  The  tendency  is  to  look  to  other 
sources  than  the  farm  for  products  of  exchange.  As  an  example, 
this  spirit  has  led  our  people  along  all  the  streams  which  can  float 
a  raft,  to  denude  the  forests  of  the  magnificent  timber  which  they 
afford,  often  sacrificing  it  in  the  most  prodigal  manner.  So,  too, 
they  turn  their  attention,  when  the  finer  timber  has  been  removed, 
to  the  getting  of  tan-bark,  hoop-poles,  etc.,  which  business  oc- 
cupies a  very  important  position  among  our  industries.  All  of 
these  causes  have  led  to  a  neglect  of  agriculture,  and  stock  farming, 
industries  for  which,  especially  the  latter,  our  State  is  peculiarly 
fitted." 

Of  course  this  is  not  true  of  all  the  State.  In  some  sections  the 
tilling  of  the  soil  is  the  principal  industry,  new  and  improved 
methods  are  employed  and  farming  on  a  large  scale  is  conducted. 
But  as  a  rule  the  methods  are  primitive  and  the  business  carried  on 
in  but  a  small  way.  Too  much  attention  has  been  paid  to  cutting 
timber  and  not  enough  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  after  its  re- 
moval. Because  our  State  is  small  and  rather  rough  with  many 
mountains  breaking  the  surface  and  giving  grandeur  to  the  scenery, 
because  it  is  young  and  has  not  long  had  rank  with  other  States, 
new  settlers  often  shun  it  and  seek  the  poorer  soil  of  western 
States.  Some  think  that  coal  is  all  we  have,  and  do  not  know  that 
West  Virginia  can  produce  more  and  better  blue  grass  than  the 
world  famed  Kentucky.    We  are  too  often  passed  by  through  igno- 


AORICULTUIIE. 


9<J 


ranee.  The  words  of  Prof.  Fontaine  are  as  true  today  as  they  were 
when  in  187C  he-penned  the  following: 

"For  the  general  and  thorough  worljing  of  our  lands,  we  greatly 
ne<'d  an  immigration  of  industrious  settlers.  Thousands  pass  yearly 
through  our  State  to  the  far  west,  not  knowing  that  here  they  can 
find  an  abundance  of  untouched  virgin  land,  at  nominal  prices  and 
with  a  fertility  not  surpassed  by  any  which  they  can  hope  to  gain 
in  the  remote  west.  But  suppose  that  lands  were  higher,  and  poorer 
here,  our  climate  and  proximity  to  the  great  markets,  must  ever 
give,  us  a  great  advantage  over  farmers  who,  when  they  make  a  good 
crop,  find  it  destroyed  at  one  blow,  by  the  ravages  of  insects,  by 
tornadoes,  or  floods  of  rain ;  and  who,  if  successful  in  escaping  their 
numerous  enemies,  find  all  profits  swallowed  up  in  charges  for 
transportation  to  markets  which  lie  at  our  doors." 

In  the  same  line  of  thought,  as  to  the  need  of  industrious  settlers 
Governor  Wm.  A.  MacCorkle  in  his  inaugural  address,  delivered 
March  4,  1893,  gave  utterance  to  the  following  language- 

"We  welcome  into  our  State  the  immigrant  who  comes  to  us  with 
the  Idea  of  home  seeking  and  home  building  with  all  its  profits  to 
the  State,  with  its  family  ties,  with  its  clearing- of  the  forests  its 
building  ot  church  and  school  house,  its  expenditure  of  all  that  is 
made  in  our  State  and  its  exercise  of  citizenship.    .  i  do  not 

m  any  way  wish  to  be  understood  as  decrying  incoming  wealth  or 
offering  obstruction  to  its  advent  in  our  midst,  but  believe  that 
West  Virginia,  the  south  and  south-west,  should  take  steps  to  bring 
into  their  borders  the  small  immigrant  or  home  builder,  and  thus 
by  the  actual  settlers'  efforts,  our  lands  will  be  developed  by  those 
living  upon  them  and  spending  in  our  State  the  fruits  of  our  mines 
forests  and  fields.  The  effort  should  be  made  by  us  to  bring  the' 
small  settler  as  well  as  the  large  land  owner,  but  not  one  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  the  other.  At  this  time,  the  reflex  tide  of  immigration 
IS  again  directed  to  the  south  and  south-west  and  away  from  the 
north-west  Whilst  we  welcome  the  incoming  of  the  wealthy  land- 
owner, still,  in  my  opinion,  he  should  not  be  welcome  alone  but 
every  intelligent  effort  should  be  made  by  the  State  to  induce  the 
small  land  owner  and  actual  settler  to  come  amongst  us  I  believe 
that  this  IS  the  best  corrective  of  the  influence  of  large  non-resident 
awnership  of  lands  in  this  State,  the  burden  of  which  we  shall  in  a 


100 


Agriculture. 


short  time  feel.  I  shall  offer  any  assistance  in  my  power  to  legis- 
lative or  other  action,  looking  to  the  inducement  of  actual  settlers 
to  come  to  our  State.  The  great  area  and  richness  of  our  coal  and 
hard  wood  timber,  in  both  of  which  we  are  first  in  this  great  coun- 
try, the  great  production  of  coke  in  which  we  are  second  and  soon 
will  be  first,  the  great  development  of  railroads,  in  which  last  year 
we  were  first  in  the  United  States,  our  splendid  soil,  equitable  cli- 
mate and  good  school  system,  all  offer  unparalleled  inducements 
to  the  incoming  citizen  and  actual  settler." 

With  altitudes  varying  from  500  to  4,000  feet,  producing  a  cli- 
matic range  of  14  degrees  of  temperature,  with  every  variety  of 
land  and  soil  within  the  confines  of  the  State,  its  crops  are  nat- 
urally produced  in  great  variety.  The  greater  part  of  the  State  is 
fine  agricultural  land.  The  upheaval  of  the  mountains  left  many 
of  their  sides  too  steep  and  rocky  for  cultivation  and-  yet  the  land 
that  is  not  fit  for  cultivation  is  but  a  small  part  of  the  State.  Upon 
the  very  tops  of  some  of  the  highest  mountains  in  the  State  are 
cultivated  farjxis  which,  while  not  as  rich  ,and  productive  as  the 
fertile  valleys,  still  yield  good  crops.  Few  mountain  sides  are  found 
too  steep  for  the  hardy  mountain  farmer,  and  much  of  the  corn  of 
the  mountain  districts  is  raised  on  steep  hillsides  on  which,  to  one 
who  had  not  seen  it  grow,  it  would  seem  impossible  to  raise  a  crop 
at  all. 

CORN. 

« 

Corn  is^the  principal  crop  of  the  State.  There  are  several  reasons 
for  it,  principal  of  which  is  the  better  adaptability  of  the  soil  to 
raising  corn.  Rough  lands  on  which  wheat  and  other  crops  could 
not  be  grown  at  all  yield  well  in  corn.  From  early  years  the  in- 
habitants of  the  State  have  been  accustomed  to  making  corn  their 
principal  crop  as  well  as  their  principal  article  of  food.  In  one  form 
or  another  it  enters  fnto  nearly  all  the  articles  of  food  that  find  their 
way  into  the  mountain  cabin  and  could  not  be  dispensed  with. 
For  animals,  as  well,  it  forms  the  principal  article  of  food,  and  be- 
ing thus  the  chief  supply  for  man  and  beast,  it  is  most  largely 
raised.  A  good,  rich  soil  is  needed  to  produce  good  corn,  and 
newly  cleared  lands  possess  this  requisite  so  that  following  the  clear- 
ing of  the  land  th^  first  crop  raised  is  nearly  always  corn.  Taking 


Agriculture, 


101 


the  State  as  a  whole,  good  land  and  bad,  the  average  yield  of  corn  . 
may  be  tak^n  as  about  35  bushels  to  the  acre.  Some  lands  fall  as 
low  as  25  bushels  to  the  acre,  while  some  would  not  bring  corn  at 
all.  Twenty-five  bushels  is  about  the  minimum  on  unfertilised 
land,  while  in  the  best  river  bottoms  the  yield  runs  frequently  up 
to  a  hundred  bushels,  and  in  Hardy  county  one  yield  of  166  bushels 
to  the  acre  is  actually  on  record. 

WHEAT. 

Next  to  corn  the  most  important  crop  is  wheat.  Unlike  the 
corn  this  cannot  be  raised  to  good  advantage  on  newly  cleared  land. 
Comparatively  level  land,  well  cleaned  of  roots  and  stumps,  is  neces- 
sary, and  only  in  the  older  portions  of  the  State  is  wheat  much 
grown.  The  Ohio  river  bottoms  afford  an  instance  of  the  best 
wheat  country.  Rich  and  level,  easy  to  cultivate,  they  produce 
large  crops  and  with  good  shipping  facilities  the  markets  are  readily 
reached.  The  yield  varies  from  ten  to  twenty  bushels  to  the  acre. 
Much  of  the  wheat  raised  in  the  State  is  ground  at  home,  compara- 
tively little  being  shipped,  and  even  then  the  home  supply  is  not 
equal  to  the  demand,  and  wheat  and  flour  are  both  imported  from 
other  States. 

OATS. 

In  the  grain  production  of  the  State  oats  rank  third.  They  are 
raised  principally  for  feed  for  stock,  and  often  the  grain  and  stalk 
are  fed  together,  making  excellent  feed  for  animals.  They  grow 
well  on  almost  any  soil,  and  as  a  rule  yield  well.  About  30  bushels 
to  the  acre  is  an  average  yield. 

BUCKWHEAT. 

This  is  a  crop  to  which  the  mountain  lands  are  well  adapted,  the 
high  cold  portions  being  particularly  well  suited  to  its  growth  The 
wet,  cold  glade  regions  seem  to  possess  the  necessary  qualifications 
for  its  growth,  and  there  buckwheat  does  well.  In  the  high  and 
mountainous  county  of  Preston,  most  of  the  buckwheat  of  the  State 
is  produced,  though  in  many  other  counties  it  forms  quite  a  crop. 
The  average  yield  is  about  twenty  bushels  to  the  acre.  It  grows 
with  little  attention,  ripens  rapidly,  and  tends  to  drive  out  weeds. 


102 


Agrk^ulture. 


SUGAR  CANE. 

In  man}^  of  the  counties  of  the  State  the  Chinese  sugar  cane  is 
largely  grown.  No  sugar  is  made  from  it,  but  its  use  is  exclusively 
for  the  manufacture  of  sorghum  molasses.  The  JViice  is  extracted 
from  the  cane  by  pressure  and  boiled  into  a  thick  molasses  which  is 
very  generally  used  throughout  the  country.  A  good  yield  is  irom 
200  to  300  gallons  to  the  acre. 

TOBACCO, 

Another  crop  most  excellently  adapted  to  the  mountain  soil  of 
West  Virginia  is  tobacco.  The  rich  new  earth  of  hill  or  valley, 
after  the  timber  which  has  long  stood  over  and  enriched  it  is  re- 
moved, is  just  the  soil  required  by  tobacco.  The  rich  valleys  of  the 
streams  which  water  all  the  State  are  also  suitable  for  its  s^rowth, 
and  a  good  deal  of  it  is  grown.  In  certain  portions  of  the  State  it 
is  the  principal  crop,  and  very  fine  tobaccos  are  sent  to  mar- 
ket where  they  command  the  highest  price.  In  Lincoln,  Fayette, 
Raleigh  and  other  southern  counties  a  splendid  grade  of  tobacco  is 
grown,  which  always  brings  a  high  price  in  the  market.  The  high 
hiil  lands  of  nio4  of  the  State  are  suited  to  the  growth  of  tobacco, 
and  in  almost  any  part  of  the  State  good  crops  might  be  raised. 
High  prices  may  always  be  secured,  and  more  attention  to  tobacco 
would  bring  annually  much  money  to  the  farmers  of  the  State. 

GARDEN  STUFF. 

The  nearness  of  much  of  the  best  agricultural  land  of  the  State  to 
large  and  growing  cities,  and  the  easy  access  that  may  be  had  to 
them,  has  brought  about  a  great  demand  for  garden  products  The 
bottom  lands  particularly  make  the  finest  of  gardens,  and  when 
properly  managed  yield  much  larger  profits  as  such  than  when 
put  to  any  other  use.  The  miners,  who  form  a  large  part  of 
the  population  of  the  State,  as  a  rule  make  no  pretense  of  raising 
their  own  vegetables,  and  gardening  for  them  as  well  as  for  the 
towns  and  cities  is  quite  a  profitable  industry  All  kinds  of  vege- 
tables suited  to  this  climate  grow  in  West  Virginia,  and  the  wide 
climatic  range,  before  referred  to,  gives  within  the  State  long  seasons 
for  all  the  vegetables  that  are  grown.    Wild  berries  may  be  had  for 


Agriculture. 


103 


nearly  six  months  in  the  year  by  following  them  from  the  warmer 
parts  through  cooler  ones  and  up  the  mountains,  where  they  ripen 
many  months  later  than  in  the  lower  p^rts.  A  great  deal  of  atten- 
tion is  paid  to  the  coarser  vegetables,  such  as  cabbage,  potatoes,  tur- 
nips and  the  like,  much  of  which  is  shipped  to  city  markets,  while 
tomatoes,  corn  and  fruits  are  sent  to  canning  or  preserving  works. 
Some  fruit  and  catsup  works  purchase  in  advance  the  entire  crop  of 
all  the  tomato  farms  they  can  secure. 

FRUITS. 

The  cool,  high  hill-tops  w^here  late  frosts  hold  back  the  buds  and 
prevent  too  early  maturit}^,  thus  avoiding  danger  of  being  killed 
by  late  frosts,  are  admirably  suited  for  all  kinds  of  fruits.  Apples, 
particularly,  are  suited  to  the  State  and  in  some  counties  form  al- 
most the  principal  crop.  The  cool,  fresh  air  of  the  higher  lands 
gives  a  flavor  to  the  fruit  not  to  be  obtained  elsewhere  and  makes 
for  the  crops  a  constant  demand.  The  summer  fruit,  which  readily 
decays  and  must  be  used  at  home,  is  often  too  abundant  to  be  used 
and  much  of  it  goes  to  decay  unless  made  into  vinegar,  but  in  the 
fall  the  fruits  that  ripen  are  mostly  good,  sound  winter  fruits  that 
keep  all  winter,  and  for  these  there  is  always  a  splendid  market. 
Hancock  county  alone  last  fall  shipped  50,000  barrels  of  apples.  In 
other  counties  not  so  much  is  grown,  though  in  all,  the  conditions  are 
favorable  and  usually  the  demand  is  good. 

Peaches  do  well  in  most  of  the  counties  and  a  good  many  are 
raised.  But  still  the  markets  are  usually  supplied  from  other  States, 
and  frequently  the  expensive  prices  prevent  their  sale,  while  if 
grown  at  home  a  handsome  profit  might  be  made  and  the  fruit  still 
sold  at  reasonable  prices.  The  northeastern  part  of  the  State  has 
many  peaches  and  very  delicious  ones. 

Pears,  plums,  cherries  and  other  small  fruits  all  do  well  in  every 
county  of  the  State.  Berries  of  all  kinds  yield  well,  and  in  places 
are  grown  in  considerable  quantities. 

For  grapes  most  sections  of  the  State  are  peculiarly  adapted. 
*'The  vine  clad  hills  of  sunny  France"  are  not  :nore  favorably  sit- 
uated for  grape  culture  than  are  the  hills  of  West  Virginia.  On 
this  subject  J.  H,  Diss  Debar  says:  "On  a  surface  so  diversified 
as  that  of  our  State,  it  would  be  difiicult  to  survey  off"  a  one- 


104 


Agriculture. 


hundred-acre  tract  anywhere  without  including  at  least  one  suitable 
exposure  for  a  vineyard  of  from  five  to  twenty  acres,  either  in  the 
val'eys  or  on  the  slopes,  of  from  five  to  twenty-five  degrees..  Ger- 
man wine  growers,  who  prefer  steeper  grades,  will  find  the  rock 
necessary  for  walling  up  a  few  feet  below  the  surface  everywhere." 
Few  grapes  are  grown,  those  which  are  being  raised  chiefly  in  small 
vineyards  and  principally  for  local  use  In  only  a  few  places  are 
vineyards  of  any  size  cultivated,  though  there  is  scarcely  a  section 
of  the  State  where  they  would  not  be  profitable. 

Too  much  of  West  Virginia  land  has  been  tilled  merely  for  sub- 
sistence, the  owner  only  caring  to  raise  enough  to  live  on.  In  the 
country  where  hog  and  hominy  are  the  staples  the  hogs  are  turned 
loose  to  earn  a  livelihood,  and  the  farmer  raises  a  little  corn  to  keep 
himself,  his  family  and  his  stock  until  the  next  year's  crop  is  ripe. 
Properly  cultivated  the  soil  of  West  Virginia  would  yield  good  crops 
and  not  only  supply  the  farmers  with  what  they  need  to  eat,  but 
give  them  a  large  surplus.  Except  in  comparatively  few  places  farm- 
ing for  profit,  or  for  anything  else  except  as  a  means  of  subsistence 
has  seldom  been  engaged  in,  but  the  soil  and  climate  are  here  pre- 
senting excellent  opportunities  to  farmers,  who  as  a  rule  heretofore 
have  been  induced  to  give  up  farming  for  the  more  promising  work 
of  cutting  timber,  ties  or  poles,  and  so  the  land  has  been  neglected. 
^  More  good  steady  farmers  are  needed  in.  West  Virginia  to  help  those 
we  now  have  to  make  the  farms  of  the  Mountain  State  bring  forth 
abundantly  and  feed  the  people  already  engaged  in  getting  out  our 
hidden  treasures  or  in  other  profitable  pursuits. 

GRAZING  AND  LIVE  STOCK. 

In  many  of  the  counties  of  the  State  the  blue  grass  is  indigenous 
to  the  soil.  It  springs  up,  as  soon  as  the  forests  overhead  are  taken 
ofl",  and  covers  hill  and  valley  with  a  most  luxuriant  growth.  This 
finest  of  all  grasses,  which  has  given  Kentucky  its  fame,  exists  in 
even  greater  quantities  in  West  Virginia  than  in  Kentucky.  Ex- 
Governor  A.  B.  Fleming,  in  a  speech  two  years  ago,  made  use  of  the 
following  language : 

"Kentucky  is  called  'the  blue  grass  State,'  and  it  is  generally  be- 
lieved that  blue  grass  nowhere  else  abounds  as  in  Kentucky.  I 
would  not  detract  from  our  neighbor  or  seek  to  diminish  the  just 


Agriculture. 


105 


pride  every  Kentuckian  feels  in  that  which  has  made  his  State 
famous;  but  I  assert  upon  information  and  belief  that  there  are 
more  acres  of  blue  grass  sod  in  West  Virginia  than  there  are  in 
Kentucky.  It  is  the  predominant  grass  though  not  our  chief  re- 
liance. Clover  flourishes  everywhere,  timothy  grows  in  rank  luxu- 
riance on  our  limestone  and  other  soils,  while  to  the  possessors  of 
light  lands  orchard  and  mixed  grasses  come  almost  as  a  special  gift 
from  Providence,  affording  an  excellent  hay  and  abundant  pastur- 
age. Thus  the  entire  State  is  particularly  adapted  to  stock  raising, 
which  affords  a  most  delightful  and  usually  a  most  profitable  pur- 
suit to  our  land  owners.  West  Virginia's  live  stock,  horses,  cattle 
and  sheep,  command  the  highest  prices ;  her  wool  is  at  the  top  of 
the  market,  and  her  dairy  products  are  sought  after  by  those  of  the 
most  epicurean  tastes." 

The  limestone  region  of  West  Virginia,  as  previously  mentioned, 
covers  about  half  of  the  entire  State,  and  throughout  all  this  por- 
tion blue  grass  grows  in  great  profusion.  In  many  of  the  other 
counties  it  grows  as  well,  but  its  principal  home  is  in  the  limestone 
soil.  When  once  it  gets  a  start  it  makes  a  splendid  sod,  and  has  a 
vigorous  growth.  No  soil  is  too  poor  for  it,  and  on  the  mountain 
side  it  climbs  and  reaches  to  the  very  tops.  Thus  hills  that  are  not 
fit  for  cultivation  produce  the  best  of  pasture,  and  soil  which  other- 
wise would  be  washed  off  the  steep  hillsides  is  held  in  place  by  the 
sod,  and  barren  land  is  thus  reclaimed. 

The  larger  part  of  the  State  is  splendidly  watered,  great  streams 
of  purest  water  flowing  down  from  among  the  mountains  through 
nearly  all  the  counties,  and  these  assist  in  keeping  fresh  and  green 
the  pasture  lands.  The  excellent  grass,  the  pure  fresh  air  and 
sparkling  water  that  are  found  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  State  are 
conditions  unexcelled  for  raising  stock,  and  West  Virginia  should 
become  one  of  the  greatest  stock  raising  States  in  the  Union.  Al- 
ready a  good  deal  of  attention  is  paid  to  stock,  and  cattle  particu- 
larly are  raised  in  great  numbers.  In  Harrison,  Greenbrier,  Monroe, 
Gilmer  and  the  South  Branch  counties  cattle  are  raised  in  large 
numbers.  In  the  valley  of  the  South  Branch,  in  Hampshire,  Hardy, 
Grant  and  Pendleton  counties,  export  cattle  are  raised  almost  exclu- 
sively. For  the  foreign  markets  cattle  of  unusual  size  are  required 
and  in  the  counties  mentioned  the  largest,  finest  cattle  are  raised. 


106 


Aghiculture. 


which  in  the  markets  of  Baltimore  and  other  places  command  the 
topmost  prices.  Statistics  are  not  to  be  had  but  in  all  the  counties 
mentioned,  and  in  many  more  beside,  the  raising  of  cattle  is  an  im- 
portant branch  of  agriculture  and  is  conducted  with  much  profit. 

Another  branch,  to  which  by  no  means  so  much  attention  is 
given  as  should  be,  is  dairyingl  The  State  possesses  all  the  requi- 
sites for  a  good  dairy  State.  The  pasture,  nearly  always  green,  the 
fresh,  pure  water  and  the  nearness  to  market  make  the  dairy  busi- 
ness profitable.  In  some  sections  of  the  State  a  few  creameries  have 
been  erected  and  with  the  uniform  result  of  proving  very  profitable. 
From  Greenbrier  county,  where  a  large  creamery  is  loca,ted,  butter  is 
sent  to  the  principal  city  markets,  while  in  the  summer  butter, 
cream  and  buttermilk  are  all  supplied  to  the  hotels  at  the  springs  in 
the  neighborhood.  Last  year  the  company  paid  a  floating  debt  of 
several  thousand  dollars  and  paid  a  dividend  of  ten  per  cent  be- 
sides. At  Morgantown  the  creamery  at  the  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station  has  proven  very  profitable  and  shown  without  a  doubt 
that  West  Virginia  farmers,  if  the  proper  attention  were  given  to 
dairying,  could  build  up  a  large  and  paying  business. 

Dr.  John  A.  Myers,  Director  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Sta- 
tion, in  an  article  on  the  live  stock  interests  of  the  State  has  this 
to  say : 

"West  Virginia  is  emphatically  a  stock-growing  State,  and  farm- 
ers who  contemplate  settling  in  this  State  should  shape  their  plans 
with  reference  to  the  development  of  this  industry  as  their  chief 
source  of  profit  upon  the  farm.  At  the  same  time,  butter  and  cheese 
may  be  manufactured  in  this  State  of  as  excellent  quality  and  in  as 
large  amounts  and  with  as  great  ease  and  as  little  care  as  it  can  be 
produced  in  the  dairy  regions  of  the  north,  so  that  the  farmer  by 
combining  the  diversity  of  crops  that  will  grow  in  this  section  with 
the  live  stock  industry,  either  sheep,  cattle  or  horses,  with  the  poul- 
try and  dairy  interests  and  the  raising  of  fruits,  has  an  opportunity 
the  whole  year  round  of  having  something  to  sell,  and  of  making 
money  in  this  State  that  is  offered  by  few,  if  any  other,  of  the 
States  of  the  Union.  We  are  most  emphatically  of  the  opinion 
that  the  freedom  from  malaria,  the  rich  soil,  the  pure  air,  the  salu- 
brious climate,  fresh  spring  water,  the  general  freedom  from  diseases 
and  insect  pests,  the  ready  accessibility  to  the  markets,  the  cheap- 


Agriculture. 


107 


ness  of  our  lands,  and  the  constantly  increasing  demand  for  our 
products,  ofter  inducements  to  persons  wishing  to  engage  in  farm- 
ing in  West  Virginia  superior  to  most  States  in  the  Union." 

There  is  one  thing  for  which  the  lands  of  West  Virginia  are  pecu- 
liarly adapted,  and  that  is  raising  sheep.  The  splendid  sod  that 
covers  our  hills  makes  the  finest  pasture,  the  hills  afford  a  shelter  to 
the  sheep  from  the  cold  winds  of  winter,  and  the  land  is  high  and 
dry  which  wards  off  disease  and  keeps  the  sheep  in  excellent  condi- 
tion. There  is  something  in  the  atmosphere,  the  water  or  the  grass 
that  tends  to  produce  fine  wool  and  has  given  the  West  Virginia 
sheep  a  reputation  equal  to  the  best  in  any  market.  The  northern 
panhandle  counties  produce  the  finest  wool,  which  stands  at  the  top 
of  the  wool  produced  anywhere  in  the  United  States.  In  every  partof 
the  State  where  sheep  are  raised  they  have  always  proved  profitable. 
They  are  easily  raised,  require  but  slight  attention,  and  most  of  the 
time  require  no  feed  except  the  grass  they  pick  up  for  themselves. 
Turned  out  upon  a  bare  hillside  they  never  fail  to  find  enough  grass 
growing  here  and  there  to  keep  them  well  supplied  with  food,  and 
it  is  a  well  known  fact  that  land  upon  which  sheep  are  kept  is  con- 
stantly improving.  Bare  hillsides  that  would  hardly  produce  a 
l)lade  of  grass  become  rich  and  productive  after  sheep  have  been  al- 
lowed to  run  upon  them.  For  the  farmer  who  takes  proper  care  and 
gives  the  right  attention  to  his  sheep  there  is  no  more  profitable 
branch  of  farming.  The  experience  of  those  who  have  raised 
sheep  shows  this,  and  with  the  abundance  of  grass  and  the  peculiar 
fitness  of  the  State  for  raising  sheep  it  is  certainly  destined  to  be- 
come a  great  sheep  State.  The  wonder  is  that  more  are  not  now 
raised. 

H(  )rses,  though  not  bred  in  such  numbers  as  are  cattle  and  sheep, 
are  still  i^ised  in  goodly  numbers  in  the  State.    In  some  of  the 
,  counties,  where  much  attention  is  given  them,  some  splendid  horses 
j  are  seen.    Long  years  of  breeding  have  given  to  horses  of  other 
i  States  more  speed  than  those  of  West  Virginia,  and  still  our  horses 
are  by  no  means  unlcnown  on  the  race  course.    Draught  horses  are 
bred  in  many  counties  of  the  State  and  find  a  ready  market.  The 
abundant  grass  which  fits  the  State  for  grazing  tends  to  make  horse 
breeding  a  profitable  business,  and  the  scores  of  farmers  who  make 
this  part  of  their  business  indicate  that  there  is  profit  in  it. 


108  Agriculture. 

Hogs  are  one  of  the  staple  products  of  the  farm.  With  plenty  of 
unused  land  on  which  to  turn  them  out  they  are  easily  raised,  and 
there  is  always  a  good  demand  for  pork  and  lard  and  all  pork  pro- 
ducts. 

Poultry,  raised  in  a  small  way,  is  one  of  the  paying  items  of  every 
well  conducted  farm.  The  chickens,  turkeys,  geese  and  ducks, 
which  provide  for  themselves  and  need  hut  little  care,  amply  repay 
all  that  is  bestowed  on  them.  The  chickens  and  eggs  that  daily  go 
from  West  Virginia  to  the  larger  markets,  form  no  small  part  of  the 
income  of  our  farmers. 


Transportation. 


109 


TRANSPORTATION, 


High  and  mountainous,  the  State  gives  rise  to  many  water  courses 
the  eastern  shed  in  the  vicinity  of  Pocahontas  and  Pendleton  coun- 
ties sending  waters  into  every  direction.  Rising  in  the  higher  por- 
tions of  the  State  but  few  of  them  attain  much  size  within  its 
bounds,  so  that,  while  excellently  watered  with  large  streams,  but 
few  sections  of  the  State  are  traversed  by  navigable  waters. 

The  Ohio  river  along  the  western  boundary  of  the  State,  is  the 
chief  water  course,  affording,  except  in  seasons  of  low  water,  trans- 
portation facilities  for  all  the  country  tributary  to  it.  Between 
Cincinnati  and  Pittsburg  there  are  daily  steamers  carrying  passen- 
gers and  freight,  while  tow-boats  push  immense  fleets  of  coal  barges 
from  the  mines  above  us,  along  the  whole  western  border  of  the 
greatest  coal  State  in  the  Union  and  take  it  to  the  markets  below, 
where  it  is  sold  in  competition  with  the  West  Virginia  coal.  The 
Ohio  river  affords  trans])ortation  at  the  minimum  price  and  is  easily 
reached  by  at  lea^t  one-half  the  State. 

The  Great  Kanawha  river  is  the  next  in  size,  and  on  account  of 
the  valuable  territory  through  which  it  flows  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment has  undertaken  the  improvement  of  the  river  by  a  system 
I  of  locks  and  dams. 

I  In  1873  the  improvement  was  begun  and  in  1880  the  first  two 
docks  and  dams  were  completed  and  put  in  operation.  Since  that 
time  five  more  have  been  completed  and  the  remaining  three  which 
will  complete  the  system  and  carry  slackwater  from  the  mouth  of  the 


110 


Transportation, 


river  to  within  5  miles  of  Kanawha  Falls,  have  been  contracted  for. 
The  works  are  planned  to  make  an  available  depth  of  6 J  feet,  or  full 
shipping  water  for  coal,  at  all  seasons.  The  chambers  of  the  locks 
below  Charleston  are  342  feet  long  and  55  feet  wide  (those  above 
Charleston  are  300  by  50  feet)  sufficient  to  admit  four  large  size 
coal  barges  The  cost  of  these  locks  and  dams  has  been  as  follows  : 
Up  to  June  30,  1892,  there  had  been  appropriated  for  the  first  seven 
of  them  $2,579,500.  On  July  13,  1892,  a  bill  was  passed  by  Con- 
gress authorizing  the  remaining  three  to  be  put  under  contract  and 
appropriating  $225,000  for  work  on  them.  It  is  estimated  that  the 
additional  appropriations  necessary  to  complete  the  system  will  be 
about  $1,080,700,  making  the  entire  cost  of  the  system  $3,885,200. 

Addison  M.  Scott,  U.  S.  Resident  Engineer,  in  charge  of  the  im- 
provement, shows  in  a  pamphlet,  from  which  we  quote,  that  the 
Kanawha  river  furnishes  the  cheapest  transportation  in  the  world.  We 
take  the  following  from  his  pamphlet  on  the  Coal,  Commerce  and 
Development  of  the  Great  Kanawha  Valley: 

The  first  "movable"  dams  in  America  in  connection  with  slack 
water  improvement  were  built  on  the  Great  Kanawha;  Nos.  4  and 
and  5,  as  stated  above,  being  completed  and  put  in  operation  in 
1880.  The  usefulness  and  adaptability  of  movable  dams  are  thor- 
oughly established,  and  all  on  the  river  below  No.  3  are  to  be  of  this 
type. 

Movable  dams  are  kept  up  during  low  stages  and  down  in  high 
water.  Their  advantages  over  the  ordinary  fixed  dams  for  a  com- 
merce and  river  like  the  Great  Kanawha  are  decided,  furnishing  the 
benefits  of  the  usual  slack  water  without  its  most  serious  inconven- 
iences and  drawbacks  With  fixed  dams  everything  must  pass 
through  the  locks.  With  them  navigation  is  entirely  suspended 
too  when  the  river  is  near  or  above  the  top  of  the  lock  walls  The 
difference  between  the  fixed  and  movable  dams  in  the  scour  and 
wash  of  the  banks  about  the  works,  is  also  greatly  in  favor  of  the 
modern  type. 

With  movable  dams  the  locks  are  used  only  when  the  water  in 
the  river  is  so  low  as  to  make  them  necessary.  At  all  other  times 
the  dams  are  down  flat,  practically  on  the  river  bottom,  out  of  the 
way,  affording  unobstructed,  open  navigation.  This  is  a  great  ad- 
vantage to  all  classes  of  commerce,  and  is  particularly  so  with  coal, 


Transportation. 


Ill 


transported  as  it  is  (and  empty  barges  returned),  in  "fleets"  of  large 
barges.  More  barges  can  of  course  be  taken  by  a  tow  boat  and 
much  better  time  made  in  "open  river,"  where  there  is  water  enough 
for  such  navigation,  than  when  the  stage  or  discharge  of  the  river 
compels  the  use  of  the  locks. 

The  gauge  record  of  the  Great  Kanawha,  kept  at  the  U.  S.  En- 
gineer Office  at  Charleston,  for  the  last  16  years,  shows  there  are  on 
an  average  196  days  in  the  year  when  there  is  5  feet  or  more  of 
water  for  "open  navigation"  from  Charleston  down ;  the  average  for 
16  years  shows  142  days  of  6  feet  or  more.  From  this  it  appears 
that  coal  can  be  shipped  by  open  river  on  about  6  months  of  the 
year,  during  which  time  the  movable  dams  will  be  down.  The  rest 
of  the  time,  or  in  other  words,  when  the  river  falls  below  a  coal  boat 
stage,  the  dams  will  be  kept  up,  and  make  an  available  slack  water 
depth  of  6  feet. 

The  manner  pursued  in  shipping  coal  on  the  Great  Kanawha  and 
Ohio  rivers  is  generally  understood  and  need  not  be  particularly  de- 
scribed. It  makes  remarkably  cheap  transportation,  probably  with- 
out exception,  particularly  when  length  of  routes  are  compared,  the 
lowest  inland  freight  rates  in  the  world. 

'J'he  coal  barges  themselves,  considering  their  capacity  and  service, 
are  cheap  carriers;  they  cost  from  $800  to  $1,200  and  last  about  ten 
years.  The  barges  are  generally  130  feet  long,  25  feet  wide  and  7^ 
deep.  A  barge  carries  from  10,000  to  14,000  bushels,  or  from  400  to 
560  tons;  480  tons,  or  12,000  bushels  per  barge,  is  a  fair  average, 
equal  it  will  be  remembered  to  a  train  of  24  cars  of  20  tons  each. 

A  small  tow  of  4  barges,  easily  handled  by  a  small  tug  or  tow 
boat,  and  parsed  through  the  locks  when  the  dams  are  up  at  one 
lockage,  will  have  nearly  or  quite  50,000  bushels  or  2,000  tons, 
enough  to  fill  lOO  freight  cars  of  20  tons  each. 

In  open  navigation  a  tow  boat  handles  from  4  to  14  loaded  barges 
in  the  Kanawha,  depending  on  the  stage  of  the  river  and  the  size  of 
the  tow  boat.  In  the  Ohio  river,  or  from  Point  Pleasant  down,  the 
jreat  Kanawha  tow  boats  take  from  14  to  84  barges.  A  fl^et  of  30 
Darges  has  about  375,000  bushels  or  15,000  tons ;  this  amount  o  coal 
oaded  into  20  ton  cars  would  make  30  trains  of  2^  cars  each,  or  a  con- 
tinuous line  of  cars  nearly  five-and-a-half  miles  long. 

The  general  rate  at  present  from  the  Charleston  pool  to  Cincin- 


112 


Transportation. 


nati  is  one  cent  per  bushel,  or  25  cents  per  ton.  Operators  who  hire 
barges  pay  half  a  cent  a  bushel  barge  rent,  m.aking  the  cost  to  Cin- 
cinnati, to  operators  who  hire  both  barges  and  towing,  IJ  cents  per 
bushel  or  37J  cents  per  ton.  This  includes  the  return  of  the 
empty  barge  to  the  mine.  This  rate  to  Cincinnati  (distance  from 
Charleston  263  miles,)  is  1.42  mills  (or  about  one-seventh  of  a  cent), 
per  ton  per  mile.  For  longer  distances,  or  to  points  on  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  below  Cincinnati,  the  rates  per  mile  are  much  less.  The 
usual  rates  from  Cincinnati  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kentuckj'-  river, 
Louisville  and  points  between,  amount  to  about  10^  cents  per  ton, 
making  the  cost  from  the  Charleston  pool  to  Louisville,  including 
towing  and  rent  and  return  of  barge,  48  cents  per  ton.  The  distance 
from  Charleston  to  Louisville  being  394  miles,  makes  the  rate  1  21 
mills  per  ton-mile. 

The  above  rates,  it  will  be  noticed  are  both  for  comparatively 
short  distances. 

A  considerable  quantity  of  the  Great  Kanawha  coal  is  towed  to 
different  points  on  the  lower  Mississippi,  as  far  down  as  New  Or- 
leans. 

The  rate  for  these  long  distances  is  exceedingly  low.  Take  it  to 
New  Orleans,  for  instance;  the  cost  to  the  Kanawha  operator  any- 
where below  Lock  3,  who  hires  both  barge  and  towing,  is  5  cents  per 
bushel  or  $1.25  per  ton.  The  distance  from  Charleston  to  New  Or- 
leans, 1776  miles,  makes  the  rate  .7  mill,  or  about  one-fourteenth  of  a 
cent  per  ton  per  mile. 

The  next  lowest  inland  rates  are  undoubtedly  those  of  the  Great 
Lakes  of  the  Northwest,  where  enormous  quantities  of  heavy  freight, 
such  as  iron  ore,  lumber,  grain  and  coal,  are  carried,  mainly  by  a  sys- 
tem of  towing  in  large  barges.  The  average  rate  on  the  Lakes  in  1888, 
determined  from  records  kept  at  the  St.  Mary's  Falls  Lock,  under 
direction  of  Gem  0.  M.  Poe,  Corps  of  Engineers,  was  \\  mills  per 
ton  per  mile.  The  average  length  of  route  was  806.9  miles.  In 
1887  the  rate  was  2.3  mills  per  ton  per  mile  for  an  average  route  of 
811.4  milps.  See  report  of  Chief  of  Engineers  for  iSSg^  page  2,220^  &c. 

The  average  railroad  rate  last  year  on  freight  from  Chicago  to  New 
York  (distance  913  milesj  was  close  to  $4.50  per  ton  or  5  mills  per 
ton  per  mile ;  the  lowest  rate  on  grain  was  about  $4.00  per  ton  or 
4.38  mills  per  ton  per  mile. 


Transportation. 


113 


The  rate  on  all  the  freight  carried  by  the  railroads  in  the  United 
States  in  1889,  according  to  the  Inter-State  Commerce  Commission, 
averaged  9.22  mills  per  ton  per  mile. 

Mr.  Scott  then  goes  on  to  show  the  advantages  to  be  deriv^ed  from 
the  completion  of  the  system  of  locks  and  dams  in  the  Kanawha 
valley,  and  concludes  that  "the  continuation  of  the  locks  and  dams 
to  the  mouth  of  the  river  will  not  only  nearly  or  quite  double  the 
time  for  shipping  coal,  but  will,  in  effect,  put  the  Great  Kanawha 
coal  fields  about  300  miles  nearer  to  the  markets  of  the  lower  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  valleys." 

The  Little  Kanawha  river  is  navigable  for  small  steamboats  from 
its  mouth  at  Parkersburg  to  Creston  in  Wirt  county,  a  distance  of 
52  miles  by  river.  The  river  is  improved  with  locks  and  dams 
owned  and  operated  by  the  Little  Kanawha  Navigation  Co 

The  Big  Sandy  river  on  the  south-western  border  of  the  State  is 
navigable  up  as  far  as  Logan  county  in  certain  seasons  of  the  year. 

The  Monongahela  river  which  is  improved  by  locks  and  dams  is 
navigable  from  Pittsburgh  up  through  Pennsylvania  as  far  as  Mor- 
gantown  in  Monongalia  county. 

Other  rivers  in  the  State  are  navigable  for  flat  boats,  "push  boats" 
and  canoes  but  are  not  fit  for  steam  navigation.  In  times  of  fresh- 
ets, though,  there  is  scarcely  a  stream  of  any  size  within  the  State 
which  does  not  bring  out  a  large  supply  of  logs  and  ties.  With 
transportation  of  this  kind  every  county  in  the  State  is  well  sup- 
plied. 

RAILROADS. 

Twenty  years  ago  there  were  scarcely  a  dozen  counties  in  the 
State  which  were  penetrated  by  a  railroad.  Today,  of  the  54  cou  n- 
ties there  are  but  11  which  have  no  railroad,  and  in  the  direction  of 
every  one  of  these  new  roads  are  now  projected,  so  that  within  the 
next  few  years  probably  every  county  in  the  State  will  be  upon  the 
line  of  at  least  one  railroad.  For  many  years  after  theB.  &  O.  first 
pushed  westward  through  the  State  but  little  more  Avas  done  in  rail- 
road building,  but  twenty  years  have  made  a  wonderful  change. 
The  wealth  of  the  hidden  treasures  of  the  State  has  been  made 
known,  the  possibilities  of  the  State  have  been  realized,  the  de- 
mands for  transportation  been  perceived  and  the  construction  of 


114 


Transportation. 


railroads  in  the  State  has  so  increased  that  last  year  in  no  other 
State  in  the  Union  were  there  as  many  miles  of  railroads  built  as 
here  in  West  Virginia.  Wjs  led  the  entire  United  States  in  railroad 
construction.  This  fact  alone  will  show  the  estimation  in  which  the 
resources  of  West  Virginia  are  held  by  capitalists  who  have  most 
thoroughly  investigated  before  investing.  Millions  of  dollars  are 
not  poured  blindly  into  any  scheme,  and  the  fact  that  many  mil- 
lions have  been  spent  by  the  best  financiers  in  the  world  in  build- 
ing West  Virginia  railroads  shows  beyond  a  doubt  the  value  of  our 
resources  and  the  future  there  must  be  in  store  for  the  State. 

The  oldest  and  the  longest  line  of  railroad  in  the  State  is  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio,  which  after  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
of  experience  in  the  State  is  so  well  satisfied  with  its  investment 
and  the  prospects  for  the  future  that  it  is  now  engaged  in  buying  up 
all  the  small  railroads  which  connect  with  it  and  extending  them 
on  further  into  the  undeveloped  portions  of  the  State.  The  main 
line  of  the  great  Baltimore  and  Ohio  system,  coming  west  from 
Baltimore,  enters  West  Virginia  at  Harper's  Ferry,  on  the  extreme 
east  of  the  State,  follows  up  the  Potomac  river,  sometimes  in  this 
State,  sometimes  in  Maryland,  through  the  counties  of  Jefferson, 
Berkeley,  Morgan,  Hampshire  and  Mineral,  then  passing  into  Mary- 
land comes  back  to  West  Virginia  in  Preston  county,  thence  through 
Taylor,  Marion,  Wetzel,  Marshall  and  Ohio,  into  Wheeling,  and  on 
beyond  to  Chicago  and  the  west.  From  Grafton,  in  Taylor  county, 
a  branch  of  the  same  road  runs  west  to  Parkersburg  and  thence  to 
Cincinnati.  At  Harper's  Ferry  the  Valley  branch  of  the  road  runs 
up  the  Valley  of  Virginia  to  Staunton  and  Lexington,  Va.  A  short 
branch  connects  the  Berkeley  Springs  with  the  main  line  in  Mor- 
gan county  ;  another  connects  with  Romney,  in  Hampshire  county. 
King  wood,  the  county  seat  of  Preston  is  on  a  narrow  gauge  road, 
connecting  with  the  B.  &  0.,  and  so  is  Ritchie  C.  H.  A  few  other 
short  lines  connect  with  the  B.  &  0.,  while  at  Grafton  a  branch  runs 
south,  up  the  Tygart's  Valley  to  Belington,  to  a  connection  with  the 
West  Virginia  Central  and  Pittsburg.  Another  branch  runs  down 
from  Fairmont  to  Morgantown  and  is  being  extended  on  down  the 
river  to  a  Pittsburg  connection.  From  Clarksburg,  the  W.  Va.  &  P., 
built  with  bonds  guaranteed  by  the  B.  &  0.,  extends  on  southward 
through  Lewis,  Upshur,  Braxton  and  Webster  counties,  into  per- 


Transportation. 


115 


haps  the  finest  timber  region  in  the  State.  The  Monongahcla  River 
railroad  connects  Fairmont  and  Clarksburg  and  the  Pittsburg  branch 
of  the  B.  &  0.  leaves  Wheeling  eastward  through  Ohio  county  to- 
wards Pittsburg.  The  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati,  Chicago  and  St.  Louis 
connects  Wheeling  and  the  Panhandle  counties  with  Pittsburg  and 
the  west. 

The  West  Virginia  Central  and  Pittsburg  follows  the  Potomac 
river  from  Cumberland  Md.,  to  its  source  and  thence  through  Ran- 
dolph county  into  Barbour  to  a  connection  with  the  B.  &  0. 

The  Cumberland  Valley  railroad  connecting  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  with 
Winchester,  Va. ,  passes  through  Berkeley  county  and  Martinsburg. 

The  Ohio  River  Railroad  is  the  only  line  connecting  the  east  and 
west  lines  of  the  State.  It  runs  from  Wheeling  to  Kenova  along  the 
Ohio  river  all  the  way.  It  has  branches  to  Spencer  and  to  Jackson 
Court  House. 

The  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  is  the  next  great  east  and  west  line,  enter- 
ing the  State  at  the  southwest  corner  and  passing  through  Wayne, 
Cabell,  Putnam,  Kanawha,  Payette,  Summers,  Greenbrier  and  Mon- 
roe, connecting  Cincinnati  and  Chicago  with  the  seaboard  at  New- 
port News,  Va.,  and  with  Washington  and  New  York.  A  half  a 
dozen  short  line  railroads  connect  with  this  along  the  line,  princi- 
pally coal  roads  from  the  mines  to  the  C  &  0. 

The  Kanawha  &  Michigan,  a  portion  of  the  Ohio  Central  system, 
enters  the  State  at  Point  Pleasant  and  follows  the  Kanawha  river, 
up  by  Charleston  to  the  mouth  of  the  Gauley  river,  where  it  con- 
nects with  the  C.  &  O.  Another  line  is  thus  afforded  from  Toledo 
and  northern  Ohio  to  the  East. 

From  Charleston  up  Elk  river  runs  the  Charleston,  Clendennin 
&  Sutton  railroad,  built  by  Charleston  local  capital,  for  twenty 
miles,  and  soon  to  be  completed  on  to  Sutton,  there  to  connect  with 
the  W.  Va  and  P.,  and  make  another  north  and  south  line  through 
the  State. 

The  Norfolk  &  Western,  the  great  developer  of  southern  West 
Virginia,  enters  at  Kenova  from  Columbus  and  Chicago,  passes 
through  Wayne,  Logan,  Wyoming,  Mercer  and  McDowell  counties 
and  on  through  old  Virginia  to  tidewater  at  Norfolk.  Another 
branch  following  down  the  Shenandoah  valley  passes  north  and 
south  through  Jefferson  county. 


116 


Transportation. 


Numerous  short  line  roads  are  in  the  State,  but  all  are  local  roads 
and  will  be  referred  to  in  the  description  of  the  counties  where  they 
are  located. 

OPENINGS  FOR  RAILROADS. 

With  all  the  roads  the  State  now  has,  there  is  ample  room  for 
many  more.  Freight  facilities  aie  scarcely  yet  sufficient  and  the 
opening  of  new  regions  by  new  railroads  always  builds  up  business 
along  the  line.  In  many  portions  of  the  State  new  roads  might  be 
built  to  advantage,  but  some  regions  are  especially  in  need  of  rail- 
roads, a  few  of  which  we  mention. 

One  of  the  richest  sections  of  the  State,  the  valley  of  the  South 
Branch  of  the  Potomac,  is  entirely  without  a  railroad.  Along  the 
northern  border  of  Hampshire  county  and  up  the  valley  16  miles 
to  Romney  runs  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  but  the  rest  of  the  dis- 
tance through  the  counties  of  Hampshire,  Hardy,  Grant  and  Pen- 
dleton is  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  regions  in  the  State,  with 
mountains  on  the  borders  full  of  iron  ores,  and  covered  with  tim- 
ber, while  fresh  pure  water  and  mineral  springs  pour  out  from  be- 
neath the  rocks.  The  descent  of  the  river  is  gradual  and  the  grad- 
ing of  a  railroad  up  the  valley  could  be  done  at  very  little  cost. 
There  is  now  a  project  for  a  road  from  Cumberland,  Md.,  up  Patter- 
son's creek  to  Franklin,  and  through  the  Petersburg  gap  to  Moore- 
field.  It  is  said  that  there  is  enough  tanbark  alone  in  Pendleton 
county  to  pay  the  entire  cost  of  a  railroad  to  the  county. 

Pocahontas  county  is  another  very  rich  in  all  the  resources  of  the 
State  except  coal,  and  it  is  now  without  a  railroad.  With  splendid 
farming  land,  the  finest  timber  and  valuable  mineral  resources  a 
railroad  would  develop  the  county  wonderfully  and  build  up  for 
itself  a  splendid  business.  Extensions  of  the  West  Virginia  and 
,  Pittsburg  and  of  the  C.  &  0.  are  contemplated.  The  road  that 
would  develop  Pocahontas  should  also  pass  through  Greenbrier,  one 
of  the  finest  counties  in  the  State. 

A  short  line  from  Hinton  up  the  New  River  to  connect  the  C.  & 
0.  and  N.  &  W.  would  undoubtedly  pay. 

The  road  already  started  up  Elk  river  from  Charleston  to  connect 
with  the  W.  Va.  &  P.  and  B.  &  0.  AviJl  be  a  much  used  road. 


Transportation. 


117 


Already  the  first  20  miles  are  paying  well,  though  in  use  but  little 
more  than  a  month. 

Coal  river  drains  the  finest  coal  basin  in  the  State  and  the  railroad 
that  first  gets  into  that  field  will  reap  a  fortune.  From  Boone  to 
Wyoming  counties  a  railroad  could  be  built  beneath  a  mountain, 
through  a  coal  vein,  the  coal  from  which  would  pay  the  entire  cost 
of  making  the  tunnel.  Such  a  road  could  be  made  to  connect  with 
the  C.  &  0.  at  one  end,  the  N.  &  W.  at  the  other  and  would  be  a 
profitable  road.  Steps  are  now  being  taken  to  build  a  road  up  the 
river  from  its  mouth  near  Charleston. 

The  Guyandotte  river,  flowing  through  Wyoming,  Logan,  Lin- 
coln and  Cabell  drains  mucn  the  same  kind  of  a  country  and  several 
roads  have  been  projected  from  Huntington  up.  The  country 
along  its  banks  is  filled  with  va'uable  coal  and  covered  with  timber. 
A  road  up  it  would  certainly  pay  well. 

The  Little  Kanawha  valley,  from  Parkersburg  up  through  Wood, 
Wirt,  Calhoun  and  Gilmer,  is  a  rich  agricultural  country,  and  the 
splendid  coal  veins  of  Gilmer  would  be  tapped  by  a  road  up  this 
valley.  It  is  a  road  that  should  be  built,  and  doubtless  will  be 
soon. 

These  are  by  no  means  all  the  roads  that  should  be  built,  but 
with  them  completed  nearly  all  the  counties  would  be  well  supplied 
with  transportation,  and  the  others  could  follow  later.  Railroad 
building  is  by  no  means  ended  in  this  State,  and  those  that  have 
been  built  but  show  what  may  be  done.  Other  roads  are  needed, 
and  there  is  no  more  money  to  be  made  in  any  way  than  by  pur- 
chasing cheap  wild  lands  in  West  Virginia  and  developing  them  by 
building  railroads  into  them. 


118 


Barbour  County. 


THE  STATE  IN  DETAIL. 


BARBOUR  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Situated  slightly  to  the  northeast  of 
the  center  of  the  State,  Barbour  county  lies  at  the  base  of  the  Lau- 
rel mountains,  the  westernmost  of  the  numerous  ranges  of  the  Ap- 
palachian system  which  parallel  the  main  Alleghany  range.  Through 
the  center  of  the  county  from  south  to  north  flows  the  Tygart's 
Valley  river,  along  the  east  bank  of  which  a  railroad  extends  from 
one  end  of  the  county  to  the  other.  Philippi,  the  county  seat,  situ- 
ated near  the  center  of  the  county,  is  distant  by  rail  from  Wheeling 
124  miles,  Parkersburg  128,  Martinsburg  204,  Baltimore  318,  Pitts- 
burg 195,  Cincinnati  323,  Chicago  590.  The  county  is  in  the  main 
hilly  with  narrow  valleys,  but  the  hills  are  neither  high  nor  steep. 
Timber,  coal,  iron,  manganese  and  fire  clays  are  the  principal  pro- 
ductions of  the  county,  and  aside  from  the  farming  interests  com- 
prise the  chief  sources  of  wealth. 

Timber. — As  yet  but  a  small  part  of  the  county  has  been  cleared, 
fully  one-half  of  it  remaining  covered  with  timber.  Oak  and  pop- 
lar are  the  principal  woods,  hickory  and  maple  are  abundant  and 
the  usual  other  woods  found  in  the  forests  with  these  are  found. 
The  poplar  timber  is  especially  fine  and  some  magnificent  specimens 
are  found.  Lands  from  which  the  largest  poplars  were  long  since 
taken  off*  are  still  considered  fine  timber  lands,  trees  which  were  at 
first  rejected  being  now  equal  to  'the  best  found  in  many  other  sec- 
tions.   The  Buckhannon  and  Middle  Fork  rivers  and  numerous 


Barbour  County. 


119 


smaller  streams  empty  into  the  Tygart's  Valley  river  which,  flowing 
through  the  entire  length  of  the  county,  alibrds  cheap  and  easy 
transportation  of  timber  to  suitable  sawing  and  shipping  points. 
The  West  Virginia  Central  and  Pittsburg  railroad  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  county,  and  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  through 
the  center  afford  ample  means  of  railroad  transportation  and  much 
timber  is  sawed  along  these  lines.  The  estimated  amount  of  tim- 
ber standing  in  Barbour  county  at  $10  per  acre  would  be  worth 
$1,280,000. 

CoalI — Though  not  generally  known  Barbour  county  is  abund- 
antly supplied  with  coal.  There  is  not  a  section  of  the  county 
without  it,  and  though  none  has  ever  yet  been  mined,  save  for  do- 
mestic consumption,  nearly  every  property  owner  in  the  county  has 
his  own  coal  bank.  What  is  known  as  the  Roaring  Creek  coal  un- 
derlies the  entire  county.  At  Roaring  Creek,  in  the  western  part  of 
Randolph  county,  near  the  Barbour  line,  this  coal  is  in  veins  piled 
one  above  the  other  until  the  coal  reaches  a  thickness  of  from  16  to 
30  feet.  West  of  this  these  veins  separate,  the  distances  between 
them  increasing  to  as  much  as  30  feet  or  more.  But  though  in  veins 
of  only  5  to  12  feet  and  widely  separated  the  aggregate  thickness 
is  still  retained.  In  many  places  the  coal  is  found  cropping  out  of 
the  mountain  side,  in  others,  especially  in  the  northwest,  toward 
which  the  coal  dips,  the  veins  are  under  ground,  the  top  one 
30  feet  or  more  below  the  surface.  In  this  northwest  portion  of  the 
county,  where  the  strata  dip  low,  another  vein — the  Pittsburg  coal — 
is  found  in  a  vein  about  7  feet  thick  and  above  the  other.  Both  are 
good  coking  coals  and  could  be  easily  mined. 

Iron. — In  a  comparatively  small  area  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
the  county  iron  ores  are  found.  A  24-foot  vein  of  spathose  ore  has 
been  found  over  about  8,000  acres  of  land.  Spathose  ore  is  never 
very  rich  in  iron  and  while  this  contains  about  as  large  a  percentage 
of  iron  as  this  kind  of  ore  ever  does — 40  per  cent — it  is  very  low  in 
phosphorus  and  sulphur,  containing  but  .04  of  one  per  cent,  of  the 
former  and  but  a  trace  of  the  latter. 

A  hydrated  brown  oxide  of  iron  is  found  in  a  four  foot  ledge  over 
some  1,200  acres  in  the  same  portion  of  the  county.  This  contains 
59.86  per  cent,  of  iron  and  but  .12  of  one  per  cent,  of  phosphorus. 
This  is  a  very  close,  fine  grained  ore,  so  fine  that  it  takes  a  polish 


120 


Barbour  County. 


like  marble.  It  makes  a  very  close  grained,  tenacious  metal  and 
was  manufactured  before  the  war  to  a  considerable  extent.  In  some 
of  the  homes  of  the  county  kitchen  utensils  are  still  in  use  which 
were  made  in  a  Barbour  county  iron  furnace  over  thirty  years  ago. 

There  are  also  a  7-foot  vein  of  black  band  iron  ore  and  a  6J-foot 
vein  of  argillaceous  ore  that  have  never  been  analyzed  but  exist  in 
considerable  quantities. 

Manganese,  Clay  and  Oil. — In  the  same  vicinity  in  which  the 
iron  is  found  there  is  a  5-foot  vein  of  manganese  ore  which  analyzes 
35  per  cent,  manganese,  24  per  cent,  iron,  .09  of  one  per  cent,  phos- 
phorus and  shows  merely  a  trace  of  sulphur. 

A  bed  of  fire  clay  has  been  found  which  is  very  fine  grained  and 
hard  and  makes  excellent  bricks  and  tiling.  It  extends  over  a  dis- 
tance of  several  miles  and  has  been  opened  to  a  depth  of  7  feet. 
How  much  thicker  it  is,  is  not  known. 

An  oil  well  has  recently  been  put  down  near  the  county  seat  and 
oil  was  found,  though  to  what  extent  can  not  be  ascertained  from 
the  company. 

Agricultural. — The  best  farming  land  is  in  that  portion  of  the 
county  west  of  the  Tygart's  Valley  river.  The  soil  is  rich,  the 
mountains  are  not  steep,  and  while  the  valleys  are  tew  and  narrow 
the  hills  are  fertile  and  make  good  grass  sod.  Some  of  them  are 
farmed  and  when  tilled  yield  well,  but  little  attention  is  paid  to 
farming,  not  enough  grain  being  raised  for  home  consumption. 
Most  of  the  cleared  lands  a,re  in  grass  which  springs  up  naturally, 
grows  thick  and  tall  and  makes  good  hay.  Cattle  raising  is  the 
principal  agricultural  pursuit,  fine  large  cattle  are  raised  in  great 
numbers  and  vast  herds  are  shipped  out  of  the  county  every  year. 
A  few  horses  are  raised  and  some  attention  is  paid  to  sheep,  though 
not  so  much  as  might  be  profitably. 

BERKELEY  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — In  the  extreme  eastern  part  of  West 
Virginia,  almost  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  State  by  Virginia 
and  Maryland  which  nearly  surround  them  are  three  counties,  the 
last  to  dissolve  their  relations  with  old  Virginia  and  to  be  admitted 
as  part  of  the  new  State.  The  central  one  of  these  is  Berkeley.  It 
lies  at  the  northern  end  of  the  famous  Valley  of  Virginia,  which  is 


Berkeley  County. 


121 


among  the  finest  agricultural  regions  in  either  of  the  Virginias. 
The  county  is  about  25  miles  long  with  Maryland  on  the  north  and 
Virginia  on  the  south.  The  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  connects 
the  county  with  the  east  and  west,  the  Cumberland  Valley  railroad 
with  the  north  and  south,  and  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal  with 
all  points  between  Cumberland,  Md. ,  and  Washington,  D.  C  The 
distance  from  Martinsburg,  the  county-seat,  to  Washington  is  74 
miles,  to  Baltimore  100,  to  Parkersburg  284,  to  Wheeling  280,  to 
Cincinnati  479,  to  Chicago  746  miles. 

The  county  embraces  almost  every  variety  of  land  to  be  found  in 
the  Sta*e.  The  Sleepy  Creek  mountain  is  on  the  west  and  the  Po- 
tomac river  on  the  north  and  east  and  between  them  is  every  variety 
of  soil  from  the  alluvium  and  loam  of  the  river  bottom,  through 
c'ays,  sand  and  limestones  to  the  shales  and  conglomerates  of  the 
mountains,  underlaid  in  many  places  with  marl  and  phosphates  of 
much  value  though  undeveloped.  Though  Berkeley  county  is  in 
the  earliest  settled  portion  of  what  is  now  West  Virginia,  and  con- 
tains the  fourth  city  in  the  State  in  population,  still  it  is  undevel- 
oped as  to  its  natural  resources  and  in  parts  so  nearly  uninhabited 
that  there  is  one  strip  of  16  miles  between  two  mountain  ranges  in 
the  western  part  of  the  county  in  which  there  is  but  one  house. 
The  climate  is  mild  and  wholesome,  the  mountains  on  the  west  pro- 
tecting the  county  from  the  severity  of  winter  and  the  intensity  of 
the  summer  heat. 

Coal. — It  has  long  been  known  that  there  was  a  little  anthracite 
coal  in  Berkeley  county,  but  recently  further  investigations  have 
proven  that  it  exists  along  one  mountain  range  in  Berkeley  and 
Morgan  counties  for  a  distance  of  some  25  miles  at  least.  At  inter- 
vals along  this  mountain  as  many  as  35  openings  have  been  made 
and  each  one  disclosed  the  same  vein  of  coal.  It  is  a  very  good 
quality  of  anthracite  coal  and  when  developed  will  be  the  means  of 
bringing  a  good  deal  of  money  into  the  county.  There  is  no  bitu- 
minous coal  in  the  county. 

Iron. — In  many  portions  of  the  county  iron  ore  is  found  in  con- 
siderable quantities  and  a  good  deal  is  taken  from  the  county  to 
other  places  to  mix  with  the  ores  found  and  used  in  the  furnaces 
there.    In  the  northern  and  western  portions  of  the  county  the  ore 


122 


Berkei.ey  County. 


is  principally  brown  hematite.  Some  specular  iron  ore  is  found, 
and  near  Martinsburg  a  fine  quality  of  pipe  ore  has  been  rained. 

Other  Minerals.-  Some  manganese  has  been  found  though  the 
extent  of  the  deposit  is  not  known. 

Indications  of  some  other  minerals  have  been  found  such  as  gold, 
silver,  copper  and  lead,  but  they  are  not  found  in  paying  quantities 
and  no  faith  is  placed  in  the  value  of  ihe  deposits. 

Limestone  and  Clay. — Limestone  of  a  very  excellent  quality  is 
abundant  throughout  the  county  and  is  largely  manufactured  into 
lime.  Berkeley  county  lime  stands  high,  commands  a  good  price 
and  finds  a  ready  market.  There  are  several  large  lime  kilns  in  the 
county  and  plenty  of  stone  to  supply  numerous  others. 

There  is  an  abundance  of  building  stone  throughout  the  county, 
a  semi-marble  limestone  which  is  found  making  a  very  fine  stone 
for  building  purposes 

Fire  clay  is  found  along  with  the  anthracite  coal  and  a  very  fine 
quality  of  aioapstone,  but  they  have  never  been  developed. 

There  is  a  fine  quality  of  potter's  clay  in  the  county  which  has 
been  manufactured  into  pottery  for  many  years  at  Martinsburg. 

Timber. — The  county  having  been  settled  so  many  years  the  tim- 
ber is  pretty  well  cut  off.  What  is  left,  which  covers  not  more  than 
a  third  of  the  county,  is  principally  hard  wood.  Some  pine  is 
found  and  considerable  very  fine  poplar.  Oak  is  still  found  in  large 
quantities  and  is  in  good  demand  for  the  export  trade,  being  near 
tidewater,  and  of  excellent  quality.  A  great  deal  of  second  growth 
hickory  is  found,  suitable  for  spokes,  handles,  etc.,  and  its  manufac- 
ture would  be  a  profitable  business. 

Agricultural  — Except  in  the  mountains  the  soil  of  the  county 
is  admirably  adapted  to  agriculture  Half  a  dozen  streams  flow 
through  the  county,  watering  it  well  in  every  portion.  The  hill 
lands  are  sowed  in  grass,  and  horses,  cattle  and  sheep  are  raised,  par- 
ticularly the  latter,  which  are  more  profitable.  The  county  is  an 
excellent  one  for  sheep  raising,  and  more  attention  will  undoubtedly 
be  paid  to  it  in  the  future 

A  portion  of  the  fertile  Valley  of  Virginia,  the  county  is  unsur- 
passed for  farming.  Wheat  and  all  the  other  cereals  yield  well  and 
farming  forms  the  principal  occupation  of  the  people. 

Much  of  the  county  seems  especially  adapted  for  fruit  culture, 


Boone  County. 


123 


and  thousands  of  peach  and  apple  trees  are  already  yielding  an- 
nually large  returns  to  the  orchard  owners. 

The  fertility  of  the  soil,  the  absence  of  steep  mountains  and  the 
nearness  to  markets  make  this  county  a  desirable  one  for  farming, 
and  there  is  plenty  of  good  land  that  may  be  secured,  ranging  in 
price  from  $8  to  $100  per  acre  for  improved  land,  or  averaging  about 
$30.    Wild  lands  range  from  $2  to  $10  per  acre,  averaging  about  $5. 

Martinsburg,  the  county  seat,  is  shown  by  the  last  census  to  be 
the  fourth  city  in  the  State,  with  a  population  of  7,226,  an  increase 
of  14.06  per  cent,  in  the  last  ten  years.  It  is  the  center  of  a  rich 
agricultural  section  and  is  assuming  large  proportions  as  a  manu- 
facturing city.  The  large  distillery  alone  pays  out  in  taxes,  wages, 
etc.,  some  $2,000  a  day.  Knitting  factories,  wood  working  establish- 
ments, grain  elevators  and  flour  mills  are  the  principal  industrial 
establishments.  The  city  has  macadamized  streets,  street  railway, 
electric  light,  gas,  water  works  and  sewerage. 

BOONE  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Boone  county  lies  in  the  south-west- 
ern portion  of  the  State.  The  Kanawha  river  on  the  north,  the 
Guyandotte  and  Big  Sandy  on  the  south  flow  almost  parallel  to 
each  other,  while  Big  and  Little  Coal  flow  through  the  entire  length 
of  Boone  county  in  the  same  general  direction  until  they  unite  just 
beyond  the  county  line  and  flow  north  into  the  Kanawha  12  miles 
below  Charleston.  On  either  side  of  each  of  these  streams  are  divid- 
ing ridges,  so  that  the  surface  of  Boone  is  principally  mountain- 
ous, the  ridges  almost  parallel.  The  fall  in  the  rivers  is  very  slight 
and  the  valleys,  though  narrow,  aflbrd  ample  room  for  a  railroad 
which  could  be  built  along  these  water  courses  with  easy  grades 
from  one  end  of  the  county  to  the  other.  At  present  the  county  is 
without  a  railroad  and  the  nearest  railroad  point  is  Brownstown,  30 
miles  distant  from  Boone  Court  House.  From  Brownstown  to 
Charleston  by  rail  is  10  miles,  to  Huntington  60,  to  Richmond  359, 
to  Cincinnati  221,  to  Chicago  526. 

Before  the  war,  that  blobdy  period  from  which  so  many  events  in 
the  south  are  dated,  Boone  county  was  undergoing  a  rapid  develop- 
ment which  has  never  been  equalled  since.  Big  Coal  river  from  its 
mouth  to  Peytona,  some  30  miles,  was  locked  and  dammed,  making 


124 


Boone  County. 


it  navigable  for  boats  and  barges.  A  railroad  several  miles  in  length 
connected  rich  cannel  coal  mines  with  Pey  tona  and  the  river  and  great 
quantities  of  coal  were  mined  and  shipped.  Then  came  the  war, 
property  was  destroyed,  the  dams  were  broken,  the  railroad  went  to 
decay  and  Boone  county  is  now  in  as  primitive  a  state  as  it  ever 
was.  But  it  is  not  destined  to  remain  so.  So  richly  endowed  with 
natural  resources  as  it  is,  Boone  county  can  not  long  remain  back- 
ward and  it  will  be  but  a  short  time  till  it  is  the  scene  of  as  much 
activity  as  any  other  county  in  the  State. 

Coal. — Boone  county  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  richest  counties 
in  the  State  in  coal.  The  chief  of  a  geological  corps,  after  spending 
six  or  eight  weeks  investigating  Boone  county  coal,  exclaimed  that 
it  seemed  as  if  the  Almighty  after  sprinkling  his  coal  around  in  the 
rest  of  West  Virginia  had  set  his  basket  down  in  Boone  county. 
Splint,  cannel,  bituminous  and  coking  coals  are  all  found  in  Boone, 
in  inexhaustible  quantities  in  thick  and  numerous  veins. 

Prof.  W.  M.  Fontaine,  of  the  University  of  Virginia,  says  that 
"apparently  the  Kanawha  coals  reach  their  maximum  in  thickness 
and  good  qualities  in  the  Coal  River  district.  The  Kanawha  coals 
here  meant  are  those  that  display  themselves  between  Kanawha 
Falls  and  Charleston.  They  are  highly  bituminous  and  contain 
both  splini  and  cannel.  In  the  Coal  River  district  I  believe  the 
cream  of  these  exist.  They  dip  gently  to  the  northwest,  are  undis- 
turbed, and  lie  mostly  in  hills  and  mountains  formed  by  erosion. 
As  they  are  pretty  high  above  the  streams,  they  are  favorably  situ- 
ated for  working  by  gravity,  at  the  same  time  they  have  sufficient 
coping  to  give  safe  roofs. 

"Beneath  the  level  oi  the  streams  the  New  River  coking  coals  are 
to  be  found,  and  can  be  reached  by  shalting." 

Prof.  I.  C.  White,  of  the  West  Virginia  University,  says:  "In 
Wayne,  Lincoln  and  Boone  the  Upper  Freeport  coal  forms  one  of 
the  largest  areas  of  pure  cannel  known  in  any  country  of  the  world." 

Oae  mountain  on  the  Pond  fork  of  Big  Coal  river,  1350  feet  high, 
contains  no  less  than  eleven  veins  of  coal  ranging  from  2  feet  7 
inches  to  20  teet  in  thickness,  and  aggregating  58  feet  11  inches  of 
coal  from  top  to  bottom.  One  vein  is  pure  cannel  coal  42  inches 
thick;  another  vein  has  34  inches  of  pure  cannel  coal  overlaid  with 
splint  coal ;  one  vein  is  20  feet  thick  with  2  feet  of  parting  7  feet 


J3ooNE  County. 


125 


from  the  floor;  one  vein  four  feet  thick  is  supposed  to  be  the 
"Eagle"  vein,  from  which  coke  is  made  at  Eagle  in  the  Kanawha 
Valley. 

Another  mountain  in  the  same  county  was  examined  by  an  en- 
gineer who  reported  as  follows: 

"Beginning  at  the  base  of  the  mountain  is  seam  No.  1,  2  feet  7 
inches  of  gas  and  coking  coal,  and  30  feet  above  this  is  my  No.  2  of 
the  same  quality,  3  feet  8  inches  ot  coal,  and  on  above  is  3  feet  4 
inches  of  g£.s  coal  No.  3.  Then  comes  No.  4,  3  feet  10  inches  fine 
splint.  No.  5  is  2  feet  7  inches  fine  coal;  No  6  is  10  feet  6  inches, 
but  with  only  9  feet  available;  No.  7  is  5  feet,  including  1  foot  can- 
nel ;  No.  8  is  5  feet  coal ;  No.  9  is  9  feet  coal ;  No.  10  is  22  feet  high, 
to-wit:  13  feet  coal,  2  feet  slate  and  7  feet  coal.  I  also  found  10  or 
12  small  veins  which  seem  to  have  been  split  from  the  others." 

These  ten  or  eleven  seams  of  coal  extend  over  the  entire  county, 
and  beneath  them  all,  be  it  remembered,  are  the  New  River  coals. 

The  cannel  coal  of  Boone  county  is  of  two  kinds — the  smooth 
black  and  the  "bird's  eye,"  and  is  in  veins  from  3  to  6  feet  thick.  The 
bituminous  coal  equals  the  best  found  in  Pennsylvania,  while  the 
splint  coal  for  fuel  or  shipping  purposes  is  unsurpassed.  The  value 
of  the  cannel  coal  in  this  and  adjoining  counties  can  hardly  be 
estimated  though  some  idea  may  be  gained  when  it  is  known  that 
the  only  other  cannel  coal  vein  in  the  southern  .  part  of  the  State 
yields  the  owner  a  royalty  of  2  cents  a  bushel  or  about  $2,000  per 
acre. 

Timber. — An  enormous  amount  of  timber  has  been  taken  out  of 
Big  and  Little  Coal  and  their  tributaries  annually  for  many  years 
and  yet  is  estimated  that  fully  one  half  the  poplar  timber  of  the 
county  remains  untouched  and  three  fourths  of  all  the  other  kinds. 
As  -rapidly  as  it  is  being  taken  out,  the  timber  will  last  for  many 
years  to  come.'  One  man  has  a  contract  for  clearing  a  single  tract 
which  it  is  estimated  will  require  ten  years  for  its  completion.  The 
principal  forest  trees  are  poplar,  walnut,  oaks,  ash,  hickory,  maple, 
beech,  birch,  lynn,  pine,  hemlock,  cherry,  chestnut  and  locust.  Pop- 
lar and  walnut  timber  is  especially  fine  in  Boone  and  trees  of  enor- 
mous size  are  reported  quite  often. 

A  poplar  tree  was  cut  in  1889  on  the  waters  of  Big  Coal  river  in 
Boone  county,  the  dimensions  of  which  are  given  by  Maj.  Thos.  L. 


126 


Boone  County. 


Broun,  of  Charleston,  as  follows:  The  tree  measured  eight  feet  and 
nine  inches  in  diameter  at  the  base,  and  the  distance  from  the 
ground  to  the  first  limb  was  seventy-one  feet.  From  the  tree  were 
cut  six  logs,  each  twelve  feet  in  length,  the  diameters  of  which  at  the 
small  ends  were  respectively  seven  feet,  four  inches ;  seven  feet;  six 
feet,  eight  inches;  six  feet,  one  inch;  five  feet,  nine  inches  and  five 
feet,  six  inches.  The  market  value  of  the  lumber  cut  from  the  one 
tree  was  $186. 

Wm.  C.  Reynolds,  civil  engineer,  says :  "I  found  on  the  West 
fork  near  the  head  and  over  one  thousand  feet  above  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  a  walnut  tree  eight  feet  in  diameter  and  tall  enough  to 
furnish  half  a  dozen  average  length  logs  " 

By  means  of  splash  dams  logs  may  be  gotten  from  the  remotest 
parts  of  the  county  into  the  rivers  and  then  readily  floated  to 
market. 

Iron  and  Clay. —  Iron  ore  may  be  found  in  considerable  quantities, 
principally  black  band,  gray  and  red  hematite  ores.  The  value  and 
extent  of  these  ores  is  not  known,  no  investigations  having  ever 
been  made. 

Excellent  fire  clay  is  found  in  abundance  and  has,  until  recently, 
been  made  into  vessels  at  two  potteries,  but  want  of  transportation 
facilities  shut  them  up. 

Good  building  stone  is  found  throughout  the  county. 

Agricultural. — The  entire  county  has  fewer  people  than  either 
one  of  the  largest  five  cities  in  the  State,  and  less  than  a  fourth  of 
the  county  has  ever  been  cleared,  so  that  it  may  readily  be  seen 
that  little  farming  has  ever  been  done.  But  there  are  great  oppor- 
tunities. Lands  that  produce  such  fine  poplar  and  walnut  timber 
as  Boone  lands  do,  are  more  than  usually  fertile.  Corn  is  the  prin- 
cipal crop  now,  though  the  soil  is  well  adapted  to  tobacco  and  grass. 
No  better  country  could  be  found  for  cattle  or  sheep  raising  than  in 
Boone  county.  The  soil  and  climate  also  make  it  an  excellent 
county  for  fruit  culture. 

BRAXTON  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Braxton  is  the  central  county  of  the 
State,  from  which  fact  a  station  on  the  new  railroad  takes  its  name — 


Braxton  County. 


127 


Centralia.  Sutton,  the  county  seat,  is  100  miles  by  river  from 
Charleston,  from  which  place  until  recently  all  the  Braxton  supplies 
were  taken  in  push  boats.  Now  the  West  Virginia  and  Pittsburg 
railroad  reaches  Sutton,  and  the  Gauley  branch,  completed  within  a 
few  months,  extends  through  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  into 
Webster  and  on  to  Gauley  river,  whence  an  eastern  connection  will 
undoubtedly  soon  be  made.  Sutton  is  now  distant  by  rail  from 
Parkersburg  151  miles,  from  Martinsburg  272,  from  Baltimore  38G, 
from  Wheeling  192,  from  Pittsburg  263,  from  Cincinnati  346  and 
from  Chicago  658  miles. 

The  entire  county  is  high,  portions  of  it  hilly  and  even  moun- 
tainous, but  a  large  part  is  merely* a  high  plateau  through  which 
the  streams  flow  deep  down  below  the  level  of  the  lands.  Five 
rivers  have  their  courses  through  this  county — Elk,  Little  Kanawha, 
Big  and  Little  Birch  and  Holly — by  means  of  which  and  their  trib- 
utary .streams  the  entire  county  is  well  watered,  and  excellent  water 
power  aff'orded  for  manufacturing  purposes. 

Hitherto  unfavorably  situated  for  development,  Braxton's  ad- 
vantages have  not  received  the  attention  they  deserved,  but  with 
the  completion  of  the  railroad  through  the  county  and  the  pros- 
pects of  the  building  of  a  railroad  from  Charleston,  which  is  already 
completed  a  portion  of  the  way,  with  Sutton  as  its  destination,  de- 
velopment must  follow,  and  the  resources  of  the  county  will  soon 
command  their  share  of  public  attention.  Some  counties  may  have 
better  coal  than  Braxton,  others  better  iron  or  better  farming  lands, 
but  as  an  all  round  county  Braxton  is  not  surpassed  by  any  other 
in  the  State.  The  gifts  of  nature  have  been  bestowed  with  a  lavish 
hand  and  Braxton  will  stand  high  in  the  list  of  counties  from  any 
stand  point. 

Coal. — The  entire  county  is  underlaid  with  valuable  coal  in  great 
abundance.  The  Lower,  Barren  and  Upper  coal  measures  are  all 
found  in  Braxton  and  are  very  prolific.  In  the  western  portion  of  the 
county  in  the  Upper  coal  measures  the  Pittsburg  or  Connellsville 
seam  of  coking  coal  is  found  along  with  several  others  ranging  from 
2^  to  16  feet  in  thickness.  These  coals  have  been  tested  and  are  re- 
ported to  be  as  fine  for  coking  purposes  as  any  in  the  State.  In  the 
eastern  part  are  the  Lower  coal  measures  where  the  Thomas  and 
Davis  seams,  which  are  mined  along  the  West  Virginia  Central  rail- 


128 


Braxton  County. 


road,  and  which  make  excellent  coke,  appear  again  in  5  and  6 
foot  veins.  Splint,  peacock  and  cannel  coals  are  also  found,  giving 
to  Braxton  as  great  a  variety  and  as  good  coal  as  any  county  in  the 
State. 

Iron. — In  the  southern  part  of  the  county  iron  is  found  and  has 
been  manufactured.  At  the  mouth  of  Strange  creek,  on  Elk  river, 
25  miles  from  Sutton,  the  old  charcoal  blast  furnace  is  still  standing 
where  ten  years  ago  pig  iron  was  made.  It  was  floated  down  Elk  to 
Charleston  and  shipped  from  there  to  Cincinnati  where  it  was  used 
for  the  manufacture  of  car  wheels,  and  the  iron  found  to  be  of  good 
quality.  But  the  cost  of  shipping  down  Elk,  which  is  navigable  lor 
small  bateaux  only,  was  too  great  and  prevented  its  further  manu- 
facture. The  ores  found  are  black  band,  kidney,  red  and  gray  hem- 
atite. There  is  plenty  of  excellent  coking  coal  and  good  limestone 
in  close  proximity  to  the  iron  which  should  render  the  making  of 
iron  cheap  and  profitable  when  cheap  transportation  is  secured. 

Timber. — Probably  one-half  of  Braxton  county  is  still  clothed  in 
the  original  forests  among  which  some  of  the  most  magnificent  tim- 
ber in  the  State  is  to  be  found.  A  great  deal  of  the  very  finest  qual- 
ity has  been  cut  out,  but  only  the  most  accessible,  and  large  tracts 
in  all  parts  of  the  county  remain  untouched.  All  the  varieties 
common  to  the  altitude  and  latitude  of  the  county  are  found.  Pop- 
lar and  the  various  kinds  of  oak  are  the  most  plentiful,  though 
there  is  an  abundance  of  hickor}^  ash,  maple  and  some  walnut. 
The  latter,  however,  is  pretty  well  exhausted.  The  poplar  of  this 
county  is  remarkably  fine,  the  rich  soil  having  produced  a  very  large 
growth  and  the  trees  reach  enormous  proportions.  The  oak  timber 
is  also  very  fine  and  in  much  demand.  There  are  a  number  of  saw 
mills  within  the  county  which  cut  daily  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
feet  of  lumber,  but  the  larger  part  of  the  timber  now  used  is  floated 
down  the  Elk  and  sawed  up  at  points  nearer  to  the  lumber  markets. 
The  water  courses  above  mentioned  furnish  ample  means  of  getting 
the  timber  from  every  portion  of  the  county  cheaply  to  market. 

Agricultural. — This  is  one  of  the  best  agricultural  counties  in 
the  State.  With  a  small  part  of  the  county  cleared  of  timber 
there  has  as  yet  been  but  little  opportunity  for  Braxton  to  gain 
much  of  a  reputation  as  a  farming  county,  but  the  soil  is  good  and 
what  farming  has  been  done  shows  conclusively  what  may  be  done 


Brooke  County. 


129 


and  that  Braxton  some  day  become  one  of  the  principal  agri- 
cultural counties  of  the  State.  The  soil  is  fertile,  the  climate  good. 
Wheat,  corn  and  all  the  other  cereals  yield  well,  and  a  magnificent 
growth  of  blue  grass  clothes  the  hills  as  soon  as  the  timberis  taken 
off.  Farming  of  all  kinds  is  profitable  and  largely  engaged  in,  but 
grazing  and  stock  raising  pay  better  than  the  cultivation  of  the  soil. 
The  soil  is  black  loam  and  red  clay  enriched  through  most  of  the 
county  with  a  light  stratum  of  limestone,  and  well  adapted  for  the 
production  of  fine  grasses.  Timothy  and  clover  are  sowed,  but  the 
blue  grass  soon  drives  them  out  and  forms  an  excellent  sod.  Pas- 
turage is  plentiful  from  early  in  the  spring  until  midwinter.  Four 
months  feeding  out  of  the  year  is  all  that  is  ever  required  for  cattle, 
and  frequently,  in  favorable  seasons,  cattle  run  at  large  all  winter. 
Considerable  attention  is  paid  to  sheep  which  yield  fine  wool  and 
prove  quite  profitable.  The  lands  are  high  and  rich  and  conse- 
quently Braxton  is  in  a  fine  fruit  growing  region. 

BROOKE  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Brooke,  the  smallest  county  in  the 
State,  lies  in  that  narrow  strip  of  West  Virginia  known  as  the  north- 
ern panhandle.  But  one  county  of  the  State  is  north  of  it,  on  the 
east  is  Pennsylvania,  on  the  west  Ohio.  The  average  width  of  the 
county  is  about  7  miles,  its  length  about  a  d  ozen.  Along  the  west 
ern  border  for  the  entire  length  of  the  county  flows  the  Ohio  river- 
along  the  banks  of  which  runs  the  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati,  Chicago 
and  St.  Louis  railroad,  which  follows  along  the  northern  boundary 
of  the  county  and  goes  east  into  Pittsburg.  Wellsburg,  the  county 
seat  is  16  miles  from  Wheeling,  50  from  Pittsburg,  279  from  Cin- 
cinnati and  473  from  Chicago.  Close  to  the  railroad  centres,  Pitts- 
burg and  Wheeling,  and  upon  ihe  Ohio  river,  the  county  enjoys 
cheap  transportation  rates  for  its  people  and  products  in  all  direc- 
tions. The  Ohio  river  bottoms  are  wide  and  level,  the  country 
back  from  the  river  is  rolling,  but  no  part  of  it  so  high  or  steep  as  to 
be  unfitted  for  cultivation.  Several  creeks  cross  the  county,  and 
flow  into  the  Ohio,  watering  the  lan<1s  w^ell  and  giving  good  water 
power. 

Coal. — Brooke  is  abundantly  supplied  with  coal  which  is  found 
over  the  entire  county,  but  has  been  little  developed.    A  4J  foot 


130 


Brooke  County. 


vein  of  the  Pittsburg  seam  is  mined,  but  principally  for  home  con- 
sumption. The  report  of  the  Mine  Inspector  shows  that  for  the 
year  ending  June  30,  1891,  52  employes  dug  from  two  mines 
33,999  tons  of  coal.  This  vein  is  found  in  the  hills  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth.  Two  other  veins  are  found  beneath  the  surface, 
a  5  foot  vein  at  200  feet  and  a  6  foot  vein  at  600  feet.  Boring  for 
gas  at  Wellsburg  showed  a  6  foot  vein  at  145  feet,  but  at  other  places 
it  is  not  reported  and  is  probably  valueless.  Little  has  been  done 
hitherto  to  develop  the  coal,  but  recently  a  large  purchase  of  coal 
lands  has  been  made  by  a  company  which  proposes  to  develop  it 
extensively. 

Clays  and  Stone. — The  fire  clays  which  are  so  extensively  used 
in  the  adjoining  county  of  Hancock  are  deep  under  ground  in 
Brooke,  but  could  easily  be  gotten  out  by  shafting.  Three  veins  of 
clay  have  been  found  and  tested  and  are  equal  in  all  respects  to 
those  worked  north  of  Brooke.  The  first  vein,  22  feet  thick,  is 
found  about  115  feet  below  the  surface;  the  second,  40  feet  in  thick- 
ness, 150  feet  below,  the  third  at  200  feet  is  17  feet  thick. 

Limestone  is  plentiful  throughout  the  county  and  lime  is  made. 

The  Ohio  river  bed  furnishes  an  abundant  supply  of  building 
sand,  and  building  stone  of  excellent  .quality  is  quarried  in  various 
parts  of  the  county. 

Timber. — The  marketable  timber  of  the  county  is  about  exhaust- 
ed. There  is  some  oak  left,  but  scarcely  more  than  enough  for 
fencing  and  other  farming  purposes.  There  is  still  some  walnut 
timber  left,  though  in  the  past  year  or  two  much  of  that  has  been 
removed.  But  aside  from  this  there  is  little  timber  left — none  of 
any  consequence. 

Agricultural. — Brooke  is  one  of  the  best  agricultural  counties  in 
the  State.  A  large  part  of  it  is  Ohio  river  bottom  land,  the  rest  almost 
as  good  and  the  entire  county  is  in  a  very  complete  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. Wheat  and  corn  and  garden  stuffs  are  raised  and  excellent 
fruits.  These  all  yield  well,  the  garden  stuffs  and  fruits  finding 
read}^  market  in  the  cities  close  at  hand.  Sheep  raising  and  grazing 
are  the  principal  agricultural  pursuits.  The  county  is  a  limestone 
one  and  the  blue  grass  is  almost  as  fine  as  that  of  Kentucky.  The 
panhandle  is  widely  known  for  its  sheep  and  wool,  the  quality  of 
the  wool  being  particularly  fine,  and  Brooke  county  is  about  the 


Cabell  County. 


131 


best  of  the  panhandle  counties  in  this  respect.  A  great  many  sheep 
are  raised,  the  annual  wool  clip  in  the  county  being  about  200,000 
pounds,  all  of  which  brings  prices  equal  to  the  best  wool  in  the 
market.  Cattle  and  horses  are  raised  to  some  extent  and  the  stock 
of  all  kinds  is  being  very  much  improved. 

Wellsbdrg,  the  county  seat,  is  a  manufacturing  town  where 
glass,  straw  paper,  paper  sacks,  cigars  and  other  articles  are  made, 
has  foundries,  machine  shops,  etc.  The  streets  are  paved  with  brick, 
and  are  well  lighted.  This  city  had  when  the  census  of  1890  was 
taken,  2,325  population,  an  increase  of  23.14  per  cent  in  ten  years 

CABELL  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character.— Wayne  is  the  westernmost  county  of 
the  State  and  Cabell  adjoins  it  on  the  north  and  east.  For  thirty- 
five  or  forty  miles  the  county  is  bounded  on  the  north-west  by  the 
Ohio  river  From  the  south-east  through  the  county  flows  the 
Guyandotte  river,  its  mouth  at  Guyandotte  on  the  Ohio  river.  It 
is  not  sufficiently  large  to  admit  of  steamboat-navigation  but  on  its 
waters  ply  the  push  boats  that  form  such  an  important  part  of  the 
smaller  river  navigation  in  this  State.  These  are  small  flat  bottom 
boats  of  light  draught  which  carry  large  loads  of  provisions  and  are 
pushed  along  the  river  by  men  with  poles.  Canoes  are  also  used  on  the 
river  and  log  rafts  bring  out  on  every  rise  innumerable  logs.  The 
Guyandotte  river  for  its  entire  length  flows  through  most  excellent 
timber  forests  and  though,  for  years,  the  timber  has  been  coming 
out,  as  yet  but  little  has  been  done  to  denude  the  hills  and  valleys 
of  the  timber  that  so  richly  clothes  them,  and  every  rise  now  brings 
out  immense  rafts  of  logs  and  ties  and  timber.  A  sudden  rise  a 
year  ago  brought  out  all  the  logs  for  miles  above  the  river's  mouth 
and  piled  them  up  aojainst  a  gorge  which  formed  just  at  the  mouth. 
As  far  as  one  could  see  the  river  was  one  solid  mass  of  logs,  jammed 
so  tight  together  that  it  took  a  month  after  the  gorge  was  broken  to  get 
the  logs  apart,  using  a  steam  engine  to  pull  them  out  with.  It  was 
estimated  that  there  were  75,000  logs  in  the  river  at  one  time.  And 
this  is  how  the  Guyandotte  principally  benefits  Cabell  county.  The 
Mud  river  and  other  smaller  streams  flow  into  the  Guyandotte  and 
help  to  water  the  county.  From  east  to  west  through  the  center  of  the 
county  runs  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  railroad.  From  the  Great  Ka- 


132 


Cabell  County. 


nawha  to  Huntington  the  C.  &  0.  follows  a  low  valley  which  is  sup- 
posed at  onetime  to  have  been  the  bed  of  the  Kanawha  river  which 
then  emptied  into  the  Ohio  at  Huntington  some  40  miles  below  its 
present  mouth.  The  main  line  of  the  C.  &  0.  connects  the  county 
directly  with  Cincinnati,  Richmond  and  Washington;  a  branch  of 
the  same  connects  with  Lexington  and  Louisville,  Ky. ;  the  Ohio 
River  Railroad  connects  with  Wheeling  and  the  northern  part  of 
the  State,  while  the  Huntington  and  Big  Sandy,  a  short  line  road, 
connects  Huntington  with  the  Norfolk  &  Western  at  Kenova. 
Huntington,  the  county  seat,  is  50  miles  from  Charleston,  121  from 
Parkersburg,  215  from  Wheeling,  41^  from  Richmond,  161  from 
Cincinnati  and  466  from  Chicago. 

The  county  is  principally  rolling.  The  Ohio  river  bottoms,  broad 
and  fertile,  along  the  western  part  of  the  county  are  bordered  by  a 
row  of  hills,  back  of  which  the  county  is  undulating  and  good  for 
farming. 

Coal. — Little  coal  is  found  in  Cabell  and  less  has  ever  been  dug. 
Bordering  along  the  splendid  coal  fields  of  Lincoln,  Wayne  and  the 
counties  east  of  them,  some  coal  extends  into  Cabell,  but  it  is  of  no 
great  value  and  the  veins  are  small.  Beneath  the  surface  the  coals 
that  underlie  many  of  the  counties  of  the  State  would  probably  be 
found.  The  county  is  sufficiently  close  to  the  coal  fields  of  the 
State  to  be  amply  and  cheaply  supplied  with  all  it  needs. 

Stone. — Building  stone  is  found  in  the  county,  very  desirable  in 
quality  and  appearance.  Its  use  is  frequent  in  the  buildings  being 
erected  in  the  city  of  Huntington  and  elsewhere.  Sand  and  other 
building  material  are  abundant. 

Clay. — Good  fire  and  brick  clay  is  found  in  abundance  in  the 
county,  and  many  brick  are  made.  At -Huntington  a  paving  brick 
company  is  making  brick  for  paving,  while  in  various  parts  of  the 
county  splendid  bricks  are  made  and  in  large  numbers.  Fire  clay 
is  not  now  used  though  there  is  much  of  it 

Ochre  has  been  found  in  small  deposits  in  the  county,  but  not  in 
available  quantities. 

Timber. — Much  of  the  best  timber  of  the  county  has  been  re- 
moved, but  still  perhaps  a  third  of  the  county  is  yet  in  woodlands. 
Along  the  streams  and  in  the  more  thickly  settled  portions  of  the 


Cabell  County. 


133 


county  the  timber  is  about  all  gone.  Oak  is  the  principal  wood 
remaining. 

Agricoltural. — Cabell  is  a  splendid  farming  county.  The  broad 
Ohio  river  bottoms  extending  along  the  entire  western  portion  of 
the  county  are  unsurpassed  for  all  kinds  of  farming.  Magnificent 
wheat  crops  are  grown  upon  them  and  other  crops,  corn,  grass,  vege- 
tables, etc.,  grow  well.  The  hills  produce  good  grass  and  are  not 
high  or  steep,  making  most  excellent  grazing  lands,  and  consider- 
able attention  is  given  to  stock.  Outside  of  Huntington,  the  prin- 
cipal city,  the  chief  interests  of  the  county  are  in  agriculture. 

Huntington,  the  second  city  in  the  State  in  population,  had,  by 
the  census  of  1890,  10,108  people,  a  gain  of  218.46  per  cent  in  ten 
years.  Its  growth  has  been  phenomenal.  But  twenty-one  years  of 
age  the  city  now  has  fully  15,000  people,  while  the  town  of  Guyan- 
dotte  on  one  side  "of  it  and  Central  City  on  the  other,  will  add  at 
least  two  thousand  more.  The  city  is  chiefly  a  manufacturing  one, 
employing  in  the  different  industrial  plants  no  less  than  2,500  men. 
Car  building  and  repairing  shops,  wood  and  stone  working  houses, 
glass  factories,  a  large  brewery,  flouring  mills,  foundries  and  other 
enterprises  make  up  the  list  of  industrial  plants.  The  city  has 
broad  and  well  paved  streets,  sewerage,  electric  light  and  power,  gas, 
water  works,  a  good  fire  department,  electric  and  horse  cars,  many 
handsome  buildings  and  plenty  of  room  to  grow. 

CALHOUN  COUNTY. 

LOCATION  AND  CHARACTER. — The  southem  end  of  Calhoun  touches 
the  western  side  of  Braxton,  the  central  county  of  the  State. 
Through  the  northern  portion  of  it  flows  the  Little  Kanawha  river, 
navigable  from  its  mouth  to  Creston,  a  few  miles  within  the  Cal- 
houn county  line,  and  sonietiujes  farther  up.  Through  the  entire 
southern  and  western  parts  of  the  county  flows  the  West  Fork, 
reaching  the  Little  Kanawha  just  below  the  edge  of  Calhoun  county. 
The  county  is  hilly,  almost  mountainous  in  some  portions,  but  the 
hills  are  not  steep,  and  there  are  few  that  are  not  suitable  for  pasture, 
if  not  for  farming.  Grantsville,  the  county  seat,  is  about  70  miles 
by  river  from  Parkersburg,  its  most  available  railroad  point,  mak- 
ing Grantsville  164  miles  from  Wheeling,  468  from  Baltimore,  265 
from  Cincinnati,  and  570  from  Chicago.    Numerous  railroads  have 


134 


Calhoun  County. 


been  projected  at  various  times  to  follow  the  Little  Kanawha  valley 
and  thus  pass  through  Calhoun,  but  none  has  yet  been  built. 

Coal. — In  the  southern  portion  a  little  coal  is  found  in  the  hill- 
sides above  the  water  level,  but  in  most  of  the  county  none  is  to  be 
found  above  the  surface  of  the  earth.  The  entire  county  is  under- 
laid with  coal  sjme  60  feet  or  more  below  the  ground.  At  Grants- 
ville  a  7  foot  vein  of  coal  was  found  70  feet  under  ground,  but  none 
has  ever  been  mined  either  for  domestic  use  or  for  shipment.  The 
coal  is  good,  and  a  70  foot  shaft  might  easily  be  constructed,  so  that, 
were  transportation  facilities  afforded,  the  Calhoun  coal  fields  might 
be  profitably  operated. 

Iron. — Sarface  specimens  of  iron  ove  may  be  found  in  almost  any 
part  of  the  county,  but  the  extent  or  value  of  the  ore  has  never  been 
ascertained.  A  gentleman  who  has  investigated  the  entire  Little 
Kanawha  valley,  says:  "Just  at  the  county  line  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Little  Kanawha,  is  a  mountain,  or  rather  a  high  hill,  which 
is  underlaid  with  iron.  So  powerful  is  the  magnetic  attraction  that 
no  storm  accompanied  with  lightning  passes  over  this  mountain 
without  balls  of  fire  shattering  the  trees.  This  has  been  constantly 
noticed.  The  needle  of  the  compass  will  not  settle  when  near  it, 
and  fine  specimens  of  iron  ore  have  been  found  on  these  lands." 

Oil. — It  is  thought  that  oil  may  be  found  in  Calhoun.  Signs  of 
it  have  already  been  seen,  and  this,  with  the  fact  that  it  is  found  in 
such  quantities  in  Wirt  county  on  the  west,  Ritchie  on  the  north, 
and  that  some  has  been  foand  in  Gilmer  on  the  east,  gives  rise  to 
the  opinion. 

Timber. — Fully  one  half  the  county  is  still  covered  with  the 
original  forests.  The  county  is  splendidly  drained  with  numerous 
streams  which  aflford  cheap  transportation  for  timber  of  all  kinds,  and 
along  the  banks  of  which  most  of  the  poplar  timber  has  been  cut. 
For  as  much  as  two  miles  back  from  the  streams  the  poplar  timber 
has  been  cut,  but  oak  is  never  hauled  more  than  a  mile,  and  the 
timber  in  the  greater  portion  of  the  county  has  been  scarcely 
touched.  In  the  eastern  part  is  some  white  pine,  but  the  principal 
woods  are  poplar,  the  oaks,  chestnut,  beech,  maple,  walnut  and 
other  hard  woods.  There  is  some  magnificent  timber  in  Calhoun. 
.  Logs  60  feet  long  may  be  seen  floating  in  the  Little  Kanawha  almost 
any  time.    Tramways,  frequently  10  miles  long,  are  built  along 


Calhoun  County. 


135 


some  of  the  smaller  streams  and  convey  the  logs  to  water  deep 
enough  to  float  them.  In  this  county  the  writer  saw  a  country 
home,  full  60  miles  from  a  railroad,  with  an  interior  as  handsomely 
•finished  in  quartered  chestnut  as  could  be  found  in  any  city  home. 
It  was  cut,  sawed  and  dressed  by  the  owner  of  the  house  who  owned 
a  small  saw-mill.  Some  of  the  lands  are  owned  in  large  tracts,  but 
those  of  1,000  acres  or  more  are  the  exception,  and  most  of  the  land 
in  the  county  is  owned  in  small  tracts.  The  price  per  acre  for  tim- 
ber lands  is  from  $4.00  to  $10.00 — less  than  the  value  of  the 
timber  upon  it. 

Agricultural. — Had  more  attention  been  paid  to  agriculture 
and  less  to  timbering,  which  has  pretty,  well  monopolized  the  peo- 
ple of  Calhoun,  lar  better  results  might  be  seen  upon  the  farms. 
The  county  is  well  adapted  for  all  kinds  of  agricultural  pursuits. 
The  hills  are  neither  high  nor  steep,  but  rather  elevated  plateaus. 
The  soil  is  fertile  with  plenty  of  limestone,  blue  grass  grows  well 
and  the  county  is  particularly  suited  to  sheep  and  stock  raising. 
Cattle  turned  out  upon  the  hills  find  splendid  pasture  nearly  all  the 
year  and  the  rich  lands  that  are  not  in  grass  yield  abundantly  of 
the  grains  that  are  necessary  to  feed  them  for  the  few  remaining 
months.  Some  sheep  are  raised  and  more  should  be.  A  crop  well 
suited  to  the  soil  of  Calhoun  and  which  yields  well  is  tobacco.  Very 
fine  tobacco  is  grown  in  some  parts  of  the  county  and  it  might  be 
made  one  of  the  important  crops.  Excellent  advantages  are  offer- 
ed here  to  the  agriculturist— rich  soil,  land  lying  well,  fine  grass 
springing  up  spontaneously  and  cheap  property,  improved  lands  sell- 
ing at  from  $8  to  $25  per  acre. 

CLAY  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character.— Clay  county  lies  ne5r  the  center  of 
the  State,  slightly  to  the  southwest.  Elk  river,  navigable  for  push- 
boats  but  not  for  steamboats,  flows  through  the  county  and  empties 
into  the  Kanawha,  a  navigable  stream,  at  Charleston,  50  miles  from 
Clay  Court  House.  Up  this  stream  in  canoes  or  push  boats  all  the 
Clay  county  supplies  are  taken.  No  railroad  penetrates  the  county, 
though  the  Charleston,  Clendennin  and  Sutton  railroad  has  been 
built,  within  a  few  months,  from  Charleston  to  the  Clay  county  line, 
and  will  eventually  pass  through  the  county  and  extend  to  Sutton, 


136 


Clay  County. 


50  miles  above  Clay  C.  H.  The  distance  from  the  county-seat  to 
Charleston  is  50  miles,  to  Huntington  100,  to  Cincinnati  261,  to 
Chicago  566,  to  Richmond  419  miles.  The  county  is  very  hilly, 
the  hills  high  and  steep  with  narrow  tops,  scarcely  wide  enough  in 
places  for  a  road  along  the  top  of  the  ridge.  The  valleys  are  nar- 
row with  scarcely  any  "bottoms"  along  the  creeks.  Seven-eighths 
of  the  county  is  owned  by  non-residents  and  held  for  speculation. 
This  fact,  the  rugged  character  of  the  county  and  the  want  of 
transportation  facilities  have  caused  Clay  to  remain  among  the 
most  backward  counties  in  the  State.  It  is  also  the  least  popu- 
lous, save  one.  The  county  has,  however,  a  wealth  of  natural  r.e- 
sources  which  will  make  it  when  once  developed  one  of  the  princi- 
pal ones  of  the  State. 

Coal. — The  county  is  remarkably  favored  with  coal,  but  as  yet 
none  has  ever  been  mined  save  for  domestic  consumption,  and  a 
very  small  quantity  has  supplied  this  demand.  In  a  few  places 
coal  veins  are  now  being  opened  up,  with  a  view  to  their  develop- 
ment upon  the  completion  of  the  railroad  through  the  county.  The 
entire  county  is  underlaid  with  coal  in  veins  as  high  as  eleven  ieet 
in  thickness  Soft  bituminous,  splint  and  cannel  coals  are  all  found 
and  all  in  large  veins.  Much  of  it  is  the  famous  Pittsburg  vein  of 
excellent  coking  coal,  and  the  Elk  river  field  will,  when  once  opened 
up,  undoubtedly  become  as  fjimous  for  its  coke  production  as  the 
New  and  Monongahela  river  fields  now^  are.  The  Clay  county  coals 
are  all  found  above  water  level  and  may  be  easily  mined. 

Ir  »n.— "In  Clay  county,"  said  Prof  M.  F.  Maury,  "at  the  mouth 
of  Standing  Rock  run,  246  feet  (barometric  measurement)  above 
Elk  river,  is  a  fine  deposit  of  nodular  brown  oxide  of  iron,  the  re- 
sult of  decomposition  from  the  carbonate.  The  nodules  are  very 
thickly  embedded  in  a  soit,  gray  clay,  and  will  yield  from  35  to  40 
per  cent  of  metallic  iron,  and  being  soft  and  cellular  work  well  in 
the  furnace."  The  thickness  of  this  bed  is  from  6  to  7  feet  and  it 
is  known  to  extend  for  many  miles  along  the  banks  of  Elk  river. 
This  bed  of  ore  was  worked  :along  with  some  from  Braxton  county 
at  the  charcoal  cold  blast  furnace  mentioned  under  "Braxton  Coun- 
ty," a  few  pages  back.  Several  other  beds  of  iron  ore  of  various 
thicknesses  have  been  found  in  Clay,  but  little  is  known  of  them 
more  than  that  they  exist  in  pa3dng  quantities. 


Clay  County. 


137 


Clays,  etc.  —There  is  a  good  quality  of  fire  clay  in  this  county, 
but  like  so  much  else  it  has  lain  unknown  or  unnoticed  for  want  of 
facilities  for  development. 

There  is  limestone  and  sandstone  of  very  excellent  quality  for 
building  purposes  and  an  abundance  of  building  sand 

Timber. — Though  Clay  is  a  finely  timbered  county;  no  better 
timber  being  anywhere  found,  scarcely  an  eighth  of  the  timber  of 
the  county  has  been  removed.  The  lands,  owned  principally  in 
large  tracts,  are  held  by  persons  who  have  not  cared  to  sell  their 
timber  at  the  Ioav  prices  that  have  hitherto  prevailed.  But  with  the 
approach  of  the  railroad  lands  will  go  up,  better  markets  will  be  af- 
forded, and  the  timber  will  soon  be  cut  out.  Considerable  black 
spruce  may  be  found  in  the  county,  some  of  it  very  fine.  Oaks, 
poplar,  walnut  and  other  hard  woods  are  the  principal  kinds  of  tim- 
ber. A  good  deal  of  curly  walnut  is  found,  but  it  is  so  rare  and 
commands  so  high  a  price  in  the  markets  that  it  is  quickly 
bought  up  and  will  not  last  long.  Possessing  most  excellent  timber 
the  county  is  also  advantageously  situated  for  getting  it  out.  Be- 
tween the  steep  hills  are  streams  in  which  by  means  of  splash  dams 
timber  may  be  floated  from  any  hillside  to  the  river  and  there 
drifted  down  to  market.  The  Elk  river  is  under  the  charge  of  the 
national  government  and  more  or  less  money  is  spent  every  year  in 
clearing  the  channel  of  rocks  and  other  obstructions  for  the  benefit 
of  the  timber  men. 

Agricultural. — With  scarcely  more  than  40  square  miles  out  of 
the  original  forest  it  may  readily  be  seen  that  little  farming  has  ever 
been  done  in  Clay.  The  soil  is  fertile  having  a  depth  of  from  4  to 
6  inches  on  the  hills  and  a  foot  or  more  in  the  level  lands.  The 
steepness  of  the  hills  is  all  that  keeps  Clay  from  being  an  excellent 
farming  county,  and  this  does  not  interfere  with  stock  raising.  The 
hillsides  are  rich  and  bring  good  grass.  They  are  excellent  for  pas- 
turage and  stock,  and  sheep  raising  would  be  as  profitable  here  as  in 
any  of  the  surrounding  counties.  The  county  is  also  well  adapted 
for  fruit  growing. 

DODDRIDGE  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Doddridge  county  lies  north  of  the 
center  of  the  State,  about  equi-distant  between  this  center  and  the 


138 


Doddridge  County. 


southern  end  of  the  panhandle.  Through  the  center  of  the  county 
from  east  to  west  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road  extends,  by  way  of 
which  West  Union,  the  county  seat,  is  distant  from  Parkersburg  55 
miles,  from  Wheeling  150  miles,  from  Martinsburg  225,  from  Balti- 
more 339,  from  Cincinnati  250,  from  Chicago  555  miles  Rising  in 
the  south  eastern  portion  of  the  county  and  flowing  toward  the  north 
west,  Middle  Island  creek  divides  the  county  about  in  halves.  The 
northern  half  is  watered  by  McElroy  creek,  the  southern  by  Hughes 
river.  The  surface  of  the  county  is  rolling  and  hilly,  not  moun- 
tainous nor  steep.  The  valleys  are  numerous  with  broad  and  fertile 
bottoms  along  the  many  creeks.  A  rich  and  productive  soil  covers 
the  entire  county,  hills  and  all,  making  Doddridge  one  of  the  best 
agricultural  counties  in  the  State. 

Coal. — Through  nearly  all  the  county  coal  is  found  in  the  hill 
sides  but  in  veins  not  over  3  feet  thick.  None  is  mined  except  for 
local  use  and  very  little  for  that.  The  same  veins  that  are  worked 
in  Harrison  county  are  found  in  Doddridge  from  80  to  100  feet  be- 
neath the  earth.  They  are  about  7  and  11  feet  thick  respectively. 
Options  were  recently  secured  by  Eastern  parties  on  several  thous- 
and acres  of  land  in  the  county  their  intention  being  to  shaft  and 
mine  these  underground  coal  veins,  but  financial  difficulty  prevent- 
ed the  carrying  out  of  the  enterprise. 

Timber. — Fully  half  the  county  is  still  in  timber,  a  good  deal  of 
which  has  been  culled,  leaving  from  a  fourth  to  a  third  in  untouch- 
ed timber.  What  has  been  taken  out  has  gone  down  the  water 
courses  wh  ch  liberally  supply  the  county  with  transportation  for 
timber,  or  has  been  hauled  to  the  railroad  over  tramroads  which  are 
numerous  and  of  considerable  length,  one  of  them  being  20  miles 
in  length  and.  over  which  vast  quantities  of  timber  have  been 
hauled.  In  most  places  where  the  timber  has  been  removed  it  has 
been  all  taken,  staves,  ties,  telegraph  poles,  hoop  poles  and  tan  hark 
all  going  along  with  the  saw  timber  and  leaving  the  land  cleared 
and  ready  for  farming.  The  timber  that  is  left  embraces  oak,  ash, 
hickory,  poplar  and  a  little  walnut.  Others  are  numerous  but 
these  are  the  principal  kinds.  The  rich  soil,  which  produces  good 
crops  of  all  kinds,  has  also  produced  a  good  timber  crop  and  the 
trees  are  large  and  fine,  making  excellent  timber  and  a  great  deal  of 
it.    With  good  timber  and  accessibility  to  market  the  forests  of 


DoDDRH'GE  County. 


139 


Doddridge  are  very  valuable.  Wild  lands  can  be  ])ought  for  from 
$8  to  $10  per  acre. 

Oil  and  G-as. — Little  is  known  of  the  Doddridge  county  oil  field 
except  by  the  producers.  Oil  is  found  in  nearly  every  part  of  the 
county  north  of  the  railroad,  but  little  is  known  of  the  value  of  the 
field  save  that  oil  is  found,  and  that,  whatever  the  quantities,  there 
is  enough  to  make  the  business  profitable,  the  operating  companies 
keeping  to  themselves  all  they  know.  Nearly  all  of  the  county  is 
taken  up  in  oil  leases,  though  some  tracts  are  not  yet  leased.  A 
new  field  has  recently  been  opened  up  near  the  center  of  the  county 
and  one  of  the  wells  there  produces  at  the  rate  of  50  barrels  per 
day.  Little  is  known  of  the  others,  but  pipe  lines  and  tanks  are 
being  constructed,  indicating  plenty  of  oil.  South  of  the  railroad 
and  near  the  Harrison  county  line  one  of  the  strongest  gas  wells 
known  has  been  bored,  and  pipes  are  now  laid,  piping  the  gas  to 
Clarksburg  to  light  and  heat  that  town. 

Agricultural.  -  Of  the  160,000  acres  in  the  county  about  one 
half  is  in  farms.  The  entire  county  is  well  adapted  to  farming,  well 
w^atered,  fertile,  gently  rolling,  the  hills  productive  as  well  as  the 
low  lands,  with  an  excellent  climate  for  farming  and  stock  raising. 
Wheat,  corn  and  the  other  cereals  yield  well,  and  all  the  products 
of  the  farm  consumed  in  the  county  are  raised  at  home,  but  not 
much  more.  More  attention  has  been  given  to  timbering  and  oil 
than  to  farming,  but  the  latter  is  now  receiving  more  attention  than 
formerly,  and  is  a  growing  industr3^  Farm  lands  are  cheap,  selling 
at  from  $8  to  S20  per  acre,  and  as  good  a  farm  as  there  is  in  the 
county  can  be  bought  for  $15  per  acre.  The  county  is  particularly 
adapted  to  sheep,  and  a  good  deal  of  attention  is  given  them,  and 
indeed  all  kinds  of  stock.  The  county  has  a  limestone  soil  and 
produces  magnificent  blue  grass,  equalling  that  grown  in  any  por- 
tion of  the  State  Cattle  are  raised  in  large  numbers  and  shipped 
to  eastern  markets,  principally  to  Baltimore.  The  excellent  grass 
and  the  abundance  of  water  make  Doddridge  a  fine  stock  county. 
Horses  are  raised  and  recently  the  stock  has  been  much  improved. 
The  same  is  true  of  sheep,  and  last  summer  Doddridge  county 
spring  lambs  brought  in  eastern  markets  a  higher  price  than  any 
others  on  the  market. 


140 


Fayette  County. 


FAYETTE  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. --About  midway  between  the  center 
of  the  State  and  the  southern  border  is  Fayette  county,  in  size  the 
fifth  one  in  the  State.  It  is  high  and  mountainous,  the  surface 
badly  broken.  Taking  a  general  north-western  course  the  New 
river  flows  through  the  county,  joining  with  the  Gauley  river  to 
form  the  Great  Kanawha  which  flows  some  13  miles  within  this 
county.  The  entire  course  of  these  rivers  through  the  county  is 
marked  by  canyons,  precipices  and  bluffs.  They  cut  deep  down 
below  the  level  of  the  greater  part  of  the  county  and  wash  and 
tumble  over  and  among  the  great  rocks  that  fill  their  beds,  between 
steep  walls  of  rock  several  hundred  feet  in  height.  The  grand 
canyon  of  the  New  river  which  delights  the  eye  of  every  passen- 
ger on  the  C.  &  0.  R'y  is  seven  or  more  hundred  feet  above  the  bed 
of  the  river  while  back  on  either  side  the  surface  of  the  county, 
somewhat  broken,  but  principally  rolling  table  land,  is  far  above 
the  level  of  the  river.  In  the  northern  part  the  county  is  very  high, 
some  of  the  mountains  reaching  a  considerable  height.  About  three 
miles  below  the  junction  of  the  New  and  Gauley  rivers  are  the  falls 
of  the  Great  Kanawha,  14  feet  in  height.  Numerous  streams  flow 
into  these  three  rivers  in  the  county,  but  none  are  navigable  save 
the  Kanawha  beginning  several  miles  below  the  falls.  The  other 
streams  are  rough  and  rocky  and  scarcely  suitable  for  floating  tim- 
ber even.  Fayette,  particularly  along  the  railroad,  is  thickly  set- 
tled, its  people  being  principally  engaged  in  mining  and  coke  mak- 
ing. Following  the  banks  of  the  New  river  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio 
railway  passes  through  the  county.  Most  of  the  distance  it  is  built 
on  both  sides  of  the  river,  the  banks  on  either  side  being  too  nar- 
row to  Ldmit  ot  double  tracking.  Several  short  coal  roads  connect 
the  mines  located  up  the  creeks  with  the  C  &  0.  R'y,  and  recently 
the  Kanawha  &  Michigan  railway  has  been  extended  up  from 
Charleston  to  the  mouth  of  Gauley  river  where  a  connection  with 
the  C.  &  0.  is  made.  Fayetteville,  the  county  seat,  is  lour  miles 
from  Fayette  station  on  the  C.  &  0.,  situated  on  the  high  land 
above  the  river.  From  Fayetteville  to  Charleston  is  54  miles,  to 
Huntington  104,  to  Wheeling  282,  to  Richmond  323,  to  Cincinnati 
265,  to  Chicago  570. 


Fayette'  County. 


141 


Coal,  —Fayette  stands  far  above  all  the  other  counties  in  the 
State  in  coal  and  coke  production.  For  filty  miles  along  the  C.  & 
O.  is  almost  an  unbroken  line  of  coal  mines  and  coke  ovens,  there 
being  42  coal  mines  in  operation  in  the  county.  la  the  year  end- 
ing June  30,  1891,  Fayette  employed  3/356  men  at  her  42  mines  and 
1,158  coke  ovens.  The  coal  production  was  1,737,017  tons,  the  coke 
326,984.  In  1892  the  number  of  employes  had  grown  to  4,o01,  of 
coke  ovens  to  1,334,  with  32  more  building  The  coal  production 
was  1,564,579  tons,  the  coke  680.216.  The  coal  found  in  the  county 
is  all  magnificent  coking  coal,  analyses  of  which  may  be  seen  in 
preceding  pages  of  this  work.  The  coke  is  higher  in  fixed  carbon 
and  lower  in  sulphur  than  most  of  the  other  cokes  made  in  America, 
and  is  coming  into  general  use.  The  increase  in  the  coke  produc- 
tion of  Fayette  county  in  the  last  year  will  be  seen  by  the  above 
figures  to  be  over  100  per  cent,  and  still  the  industry  is  growing. 
New  railroad  lines  are  projected  in  all  directions,  new  mines  are 
being  opened,  and  the  coal  and  coke  industry  in  Fayette  county  has 
just  begun  to  grow  to  great  proportions.  The  workable  seams  of 
coal  within  the  county  are  given  as  follows':  Quinnimont,  3  to  6 
feet  thick;  Fire  Creek,  3^  to  4^  feet;  Nuttaliburg,  3|  to  4  feet; 
Clarion,  5  feet;  Lower  Kittanning,  7  feet;  Upper  Kittanning,  5  feet; 
Lower  Freeport,  5  feet;  Upper  Freeport,  7  feet.  In  many  places 
several  seams  are  found,  one  above  the  other. 

Iron. — Good  iron  ores  are  found  in  Fayette,  and  have  been  suc- 
cessfully worked.  But  little  attention  has  ever  been  given  to  them 
because  of  the  greater  importance  and  prevalence  of  the  coal. 

Fire  Clay. — In  a  county  where  so  much  fire  brick  is  used  in  the 
construction  of  coke  ovens  as  in  Fayette,  deposits  of  fire  clay  must 
be  of  great  value.  In  Fayette  beds  are  found  of  varying  thick- 
nesses ranging  up  to  eighteen  feet.  Hitherto  it  has  not  been  put  to 
use  to  any  great  extent,  though  why  it  should  not  be  is  hard  to  see. 
The  clay  is  equal  to  that  found  anywhere,  and  is  close  to  the  mines 
where  it  is  used.  It  is  also  on  a  line  of  railroad  which  would  offer 
cheap  freight  rates  for  fire  and  paving  brick  for  which  there  is  al- 
ways good  demand. 

Timber. — Fayette  is  filled  with  the  finest  timber.  Along  the 
rivers  and  the  railroads  about  all  has  been  cut  out,  and  in  the  better 
upland  farming  regions  much  has  been  removed,  but  still  perhaps 


142 


Gilmer  County. 


one  half  the  county  is  now  in  timber.  Oak  is  the  principal  wood, 
though  many  other  kinds  abound  and  fill  the  forests.  Timber  op- 
erations are  largely  carried  on,  and  several  large  saw  mills  are  run- 
ning in  the  county,  cutting  up  the  products  of  the  forests. 

Agricultural. — While  parts  of  the  county  are  rough  and  rugged 
the  greater  portion  is  well  suited  to  certain  kinds  of  agriculture.  The 
high,  rich  lands  of  the  greater  part  of  the  county  are  admirably 
adapted  to  the  raising  of  tobacco  and  none  raised  in  the  State  will 
excel  in  quality  that  which  comes  from  Fayette  county.  Last  year 
in  Lynchburg  and  Richmond  markets  Fayette  tobacco  brought  very 
near  the  highest  price  brought  by  any  tobacco  raised  in  the  United 
States.  Corn  is  grown  to  some  extent  but  tobacco  and  grass  take 
the  place,  to  a  large  extent,  of  the  cereals.  The  land  produces  ex- 
cellent grass  and  pasturage,  and  sheep  and  cattle  thrive.  But  not 
much  attention  is  given  to  farming,  the  chief  industries  of  the 
county  being  the  mining  of  coal  and  making  of  coke. 

GILMER  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character  — Gilmer  lies  slightly  to  the  northwest 
of  the  centre  of  the  State.  The  county,  like  those  about  it,  is  not 
mountainous,  but  rolling  and  hilly.  Through  the  centre  of  the 
county  winds  the  Little  Kanawha  river,  which  is  in  times  of  high 
water  navigable  as  far  up  as  Glenville  for  steamboats,  and  at  all 
seasons  furnishes  means  of  transportation  for  logs  and  light  mer- 
chandise. The  waters  of  the  Little  Kanawha  are  well  distributed 
over  the  entire  county.  The  soil  is  clay  and  loam  enriched  with 
limestone  and  very  productive,  and  no  part  of  it  is  valueless.  Glen- 
ville, the  county  seat,  is  96  miles  by  river  from  Parkersburg.  The 
closest  railroad  point  is  Weston,  28  miles  from  Glenville,  which  is 
by  this  route  175  miles  from  Wheeling,  369  from  Baltimore,  330 
from  Cincinnati  and  631  from  Chicago.  Upon  the  completion  of 
the  Charleston,  Clendennin  and  Sutton  railroad  the  distance  from 
Glenville  to  Charleston  by  Weston  and  railroad  will  be  172  miles. 
The  Ravenswood,  Spencer  and  Glenville  railroad  is  now  completed 
to  Spencer  and  its  extension  to  Glenville  is  contemplated  within 
the  near  future.  The  construction  of  a  railroad  up  the  Little  Kan- 
awha valley  from  Parkersburg  to  a  connection  with  the  West  Vir- 
ginia and  Pittsburg  railroad  is  contemplated  and  will  undoubtedly 


Gilmer  County. 


143 


be  built  within  a  short  time,  giving  to  all  the  Little  Kanawha  coun- 
ties railroad  connection  both  oast  and  west.  The  roads  of  Gilmer 
county  are  very  good  and  well  kept  up. 

Coal. — Going  up  the  little  Kanawha  valley  the  first  coal  above 
the  water  level  is  found  in  the  hills  near  Glenville,  where  a  5  foot 
vein,  75  feet  above  the  river,  supplies  the  town.  In  the  western 
portion  of  the  county  coal  is  found  but  it  is  under  the  ground. 
The  entire  county  is  full  of  very  fine  coal,  the  veins  ranging  from 
2^  to  16  feet  in  thickness.  The  16  foot  vein  is  found  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  county.  For  want  of  shipping  facilities  none  of  the 
Gilmer  coal  has  ever  been  mined  save  for  the  local  needs  of  the 
people  of  the  county,  but  with  a  view  to  inducing  railroad  construc- 
tion the  coal  has  been  opened  and  tested  and  it  is  found  to  be  equal 
to  the  very  best  W^st  Virginia  coking  coal.  The  county  is  abund- 
antly supplied  with  the  finest  of  coals  and  only  a  railroad  is  needed 
to  develop  it  and  bring  Gilmer  up  to  a  high  rank  among  the  coal 
producing  counties  of  the  State. 

Oil. — Recently  some  oil  has  been  found  in  the  county.  A  test 
well  at  Glenville  was  put  down  some  months  ago  and  some  oA  was 
found,  but  the  company  had  difficulty  in  boring  and  while  indica- 
tions of  a  good  well  were  found,  the  boring  stopped  before  oil  was 
reached  in  any  quantities. 

Timber  — Over  half  the  county  is  still  covered  with  magnificent 
timber,  principa  ly  oak.  Poplar  timber  is  pretty  well  removed  from 
Gilmer  county,  but  the  very  finest  kind  of  oaks  remain,  all  kinds 
of  which  abound.  Some  white  pine  is  found  in  the  western  por- 
tion of  the  county,  but  the  principal  kinds  of  timber  are  the  hard 
woods,  linn  and  poplar.  A  few  saw  mills  are  at  work  in  the  county, 
but  the  most  of  the  timber  is  floated  down  the  Little  Kanawha  to 
lower  markets,  transportation  being  afforded  in  this  way  at  all  sea- 
sons of  the  year.  In  some  portions  of  the  county  the  timber  re- 
mains as  yet  untouched,  and  offers  an  inviting  field  to  lumbermen. 
Tanbark  is  found  in  abundance. 

Iron,  Clay,  etc. — Some  iron  ore  is  found  in  the  county,  but  it 
has  nevcT  been  developed  at  all,  and  the  value  or  extent  of  it  is  not 
known.  Limestone  is  found  though  not  in  large  quantities.  There 
is  a  very  fine  quality  of  fire  clay,  which  is  found  in  abundance,  but 
it  has  never  been  utilized. 


144 


Grant  County. 


Agricultural. — Stripped  of  its  timber  the  land  in  Gilmer  is  very 
fine  for  agricultural  purposes.  It  is  in  West  Virginia's  fine  blue 
grass  belt  and  this,  the  finest  of  all  grasses  for  stock,  springs  up 
spontaneously  and  forms  an  excellent  sod.  The  hills  are  produc- 
tive to  their  tops,  and  excellent  hillside  pasturage  is  afforded  in  every 
portion  of  the  county.  Cattle  and  sheep  are  now  raised  in  consid- 
erable numbers,  but  the  fact  that  over  half  the  county  is  still  in 
forests  in  which  the  blue  grass  grows  as  soon  as  the  timber  is  taken 
off,  shows  the  opportunities  still  offered  to  cattle  and  sheep  raisers. 
The  climate  is  mild  and  the  feeding  period  short.  But  not  alone 
for  grazing  is  the  county  suited.  The  soil  is  fertile  and  very  produc- 
tive, and  crops  of  all  kinds  yield  well.  Farming  lands  will  range  in 
value  from  $5  to  $15  per  acre,  with  $10  a  fair  average.  Unimproved 
lands  will  average  about  $3  per  acre. 

GRANT  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — The  Potomac  river  which  forms  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  entire  eastern  portion  of  the  State,  has 
its  source  at  the  corner  of  Grant  and  Tucker  counties,  from  which 
point  the  State  boundary  line  passes  directly  north  to  Pennsylvania. 
From  this  point  the  Potomac  runs  along  the  northwestern  border  of 
Grant  in  its  course  to  the  sea.  Through  the  center  of  the  county 
passes  the  main  Alleghany  range  of  mountains,  and  through  the 
southern  portion  of  the  county  flows  the  South  Branch  of  the  Po- 
tomac river.  The  entire  county  is  very  mountainous,  though  with 
fertile  valleys  between  the  ranges,  many  of  them  broad  and  all  pro- 
ductive. The  mountains  are  all  high  and  most  of  them  steep, 
though  in  most  places  suited  for  pasturage,  and  lie  in  ranges  between 
which  the  surface  is  level.  These  valleys  compose  a  portion  of  the 
finest  farming  lands  in  the  State.  The  roads  between  the  moun- 
tains are  very  good,  those  across  the  mountains  rough.  Through 
the  entire  length  of  the  county,  from  the  Potomac  to  the  South 
Branch  of  the  same,  a  railroad  has  been  surveyed  and  a  large  sub- 
scription has  been  voted  by  the  county  for  its  construction.  Along 
the  Western  border  the  West  Virginia  Central  and  Pittsburg  rail- 
road has  been  constructed,  giving  connections  north  and  south.  The 
most  accessible  railroad  point  for  Petersburg,  the  county  seat,  is 
Romney,  38  miles  away,  on  a  branch,  or  Keyser,  42  miles  away,  on 


Grant  County,  ^45 

the  main  line,  of  the  B.  &  0.  By  Romney  the  distance  to  Martins- 
burg  is  1 18  miles,  to  Baltimore  232.  By  Keyser  it  is  221  miles  to 
Wheeling,  225  to  Parkersburg,  421  to  Cincinnati  and  689  to  Chicago 
The  completion  of  the  W.  Va.  C.  &  P.  to  a  connection  with  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio,  which  is  contemplated,  would  put  Grant* 
much  closer  to  Charleston  and  the  southern  part  of  the  State. 

Coal.— The  Pittsburg  or  Connellsville  coking  coal  covers  about 
one  half  of  Grant  county,  extending  as  far  east  over  the  county  as 
the  eastern  front  of  the  Alleghanies.  Until  recently  no  coal  had 
ever  been  mined  in  this  county,  but  the  construction  of  a  railroad 
through  the  county  gave  coal  mining  an  impetus  and  some  mines 
were  opened  along  the  line  of  the  railroad.  But  while  coal  abounds 
in  fully  half  the  county,  few  if  any  developments  have  been  made 
save  immediately  along  the  railroad.  The  coal  is  the  fine  coking 
coal  which  has  made  Connellsville  famous,  and  is  now  being  worked 
in  several  counties  in  West  Virginia.  The  "Big  Vein,"  14  feet  thick 
is  found  in  Grant  and  worked  a  little.  Other  veins  are  found  of  vary- 
ing thickness,  but  though  they  are  workable,  none  of  them  have  ever 
been  opened  or  mined.  A  railroad  through  the  county,  one  which 
would  do  more  than  skirt  along  the  edge,  would  do  much  toward 
developing  the  coal  of  Grant  county. 

Iron.— The  mountains  of  Grant  county  are  liberally  stored  with 
red  and  brown  hematite  and  red  fossiliferous  hematite  iron  ore^. 
The  latter  ore  is  that  worked  in  the  prosperous  iron  regions  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  at  Birmingham,  Ala,  But  there  seems  to  be  a 
thickening  of  the  veins  in  West  Virginia,  and  while  only  a  few 
inches  m  thickness  both  north  and  south  ot  West  Virginia  it  here 
reaches  a  considerable  thickness.  In  Grant  county  five  parallel 
strata  or  seams  of  the  red  fossiliferous  hematite  ore  are  found,  of  the 
following  thicknesses :  8  feet,  18  feet,  13  feet,  1 1  feet  and  7  feet  mak- 
ing a  total  thickness  of  57  feet  of  valuable  iron  ore  containing  from 
50  to  60  per  cent,  pure  iron.  This  ore  is  richer  and  in  thicker  beds 
than  that  of  Pennsylvania  and  Alabama,  is  within  a  few  miles  of 
the  finest  kinds  of  coking  coals,  and  among  inexhaustible  quantities 
ot  imestone,  and  only  transportation  is  wanting  to  make  this  one 
ot  the  great  iron  producing  sections  of  the  country.  Above  the 
red  fossiliferous  ores  are  vast  quantities  of  brown  hematite  ores  of 
great  value.    From  these  ores  iron  was  made  before  the  war,  and 


146 


Grant  County. 


there  are  now  in  use  a  number  of  stoves  which  were  cast  of  pig  iron 
made  from  native  ores  within  the  county. 

LiMKSTONE,  Clay,  etc. — Limestone  is  found  in  inexhaustible 
quantities,  and  of  several  different  varieties  in  all  parts  of  the 
county.  A  hydraulic  limestone  is  also  found,  and  excellent  lime, 
both  common  and  hydraulic,  is  made.  The  lime  is  of  the  finest 
kind,  equal  to  the  Berkeley  county  lime,  which  is  in  good  demand. 

A  very  fine  quality  of  fire  clay  is  found,  but  it  has  never  been 
utilized,  and  the  extent  of  it  is  not  known. 

A  soft  sandstone,  very  valuable  for  building  purposes,  is  found  in 
several  places  in  the  mountains  ot  this  county.  When  quarried 
the  stone  is  very  soft  and  may  be  sawed  or  cut  into  any  shape  de- 
sired, but  after  exposure  to  the  air  it  becomes  almost  as  hard  as 
flint.    It  makes  an  excellent  building  stone. 

Timber. — In  over  half  the  county  the  timber  is  still  standing. 
A  good  deal  of  farm  land  has  been  cleared,  and  since  the  construc- 
tion of  the  railroad  in  the  western  part  of  the  county,  considerable 
timber  has  been  taken  out,  some  of  the  larpjest  lumber  plants  in 
the  State  being  along  that  line,  but  there  are  from  150,000  to  200,- 
000  acres  of  the  county  still  covered  with  magnificent  timber  of 
every  kind.  The  high  mountain  regions  are  covered  with  white 
and  other  pines,  and  black  spruce,  much  of  which  has  been  dead- 
ened by  the  pine  destroying  insect,  and  most  of  which  is  now  being 
cut  to  save  it.  The  most  of  the  remainder  of  the  timber  is  white 
or  chestnut  oak,  though  cherry,  ash,  poplar,  beech  and  maples  are 
abundant.  But  the  distance  from  market  and  the  difficulty  in 
reaching  it  have  offered  little  incentive  to  timber  men  to  cut  this 
timber,  except  along  the  railroad  where  a  great  deal  of  timber  is 
now  being  cut.  There  is  an  enormous  quantity  of  tanbark  in  the 
county,  the  oaks  being  the  most  abundant  timber,  with  their  wealth 
of  tanbark,  and  there  are  a  few  tanneries  in  the  county,  one  quite 
large  one.  Getting  out  tanbark  will  long  be  one  of  the  principal 
industries  of  the  county. 

Agricultural. — Farming  is  at  present  the  principal  occupation 
of  the  people  of  the  county,  and  some  of  the  most  valuable  farms 
in  the  State  are  found  in  the  valleys  of  Grant  and  the  other  South 
Branch  counties.  The  price  of  farming  lands  in  the  county  runs 
up  to  $50  and  $100  per  acre,  and  will  average  about  $25.    The  soil 


Grant  County. 

in  the  valleys  is  like  that  of  Hardy  and  the  other  South  Branch 
counties,  almost  inexhaustible.  One  man  in  Grant  county  has  a 
river  bottom  farm  on  which  corn  has  been  raised  without  alterna- 
tion year  after  year  since  the  oldest  resident  of  the  county  can  recol- 
lect, certainly  for  80  or  90  years,  perhaps  for  100,  and  the  yield  is 
just  as  good  today  as  it  ever  was.  The  soil  seems  never  to  wear  out 
and  produces  magnificent  crops.  Yields  of  100  bushels  of  corn  per 
acre,  or  even  more,  are  not  rare  All  kinds  of  farnjing  is 
conducted,  but  the  raising  of  cattle  and  corn  are  the  principal 
industries  of  the  county.  The  river  bottoms  are  princi- 
pally used  for  cultivation,  the  hills  for  pasturage.  Very  fine  cattle 
are  grown,  principally  for  the  export  trade,  for  which  those  over 
1400  pounds  in  weight  are  chiefly  used.  Large  numbers  of  cattle 
are  raised  and  shipped  annually.  Not  so  much  attention  is  paid  to 
sheep  raising  as  to  cattle,  though  a  great  many  are  sold  every  year 
Cleared  of  its  timber  this  county  would  afi"ord  pasturage  and  grains 
for  several  times  as  many  cattle  and  sheep  as  are  now  grown 

Mineral,  Watehs.-  There  are  a  great  many  sulphur  and  chalyb- 
eate springs  in  this  county,  some  of  the  waters  of  which  possess 
very  valuable  medicinal  properties. 

GREENBRIER  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. -  Greenbrier,  next  to  the  largest  county 
in  the  State,  borders  on  the  Virginia  line,  south  of  the  center  of 
West  Virginia.  The  eastern  border  is  along  the  top  of  the  main 
Alleghany  range  of  mountains,  and  the  entire  eastern  portion  of  the 
county  is  very  high  and  mountainous.  In  the  western  portion  are 
also  many  mountains,  while  the  central  portion-about  one-half  the 
county-is  an  elevated  plateau,  undulating  but  not  hilly  very  fer- 
tile and  productive.  East  of  the  center  of  the  county,  dividing  the 
plateau  region  from  the  mountains,  the  Greenbrier  river  flows  from 
north  to  south  through  the  entire  county,  turning  in  the  southern 
portion  toward  the  west,  and  uniting  in  the  next  county  on  the 
west  with  the  New  river.  The  Greenbrier  river  flows  almost  the 
entire  length  of  the  county  through  a  deep  gorge,  the  mountains  on 
one  side,  the  level  plateau  far  above  the  river  on  the  other  The 
central  portion  of  the  county  is  of  limestone  lormation  and  caverns 
underlie  it,  so  that  streams  of  water  frequentlv  disappear  beneath 


148 


Greenbrier  County. 


the  earth  never,  so  far  as  known,  to  re-appear  again  At  other  places 
great  streams  of  pure  spring  water  gush  out  of  the  sides  of  hills  and 
make  excellent  power  for  water  mills,  many  of  which  are  built  to 
utilize  this  power.  In  the  north  and  west  of  the  county  are  Cherry 
and  Meadow  rivers,  both  tributaries  of  the  Gauley,  which  water 
well  that  portion  of  the  county,  and  afford  means  of  transportation 
for  the  timber.  Good  turnpike  roads  penetrate  nearly  every  portion 
of  the  county  and  center  at  the  county  seat.  Through  the  southern 
portion  of  the  county,  from  east  to  west  passes  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  railroad.  Lewisburg,  the  county  seat,  is  4  miles  from  this  rail- 
road, by  way  of  which  the  distance  to  Charleston  is  135  miles,  to 
Richmond  242,  to  Cincinnati  346  and  to  Chicago  651  miles.  Green- 
brier is  perhaps  the  most  highly  favored  with  natural  resources  of 
all  the  counties  in  the  State. 

Coal. — The  Flat  Top  or  New  River  coking  coal  field,  so  exten- 
sively worked  in  those  districts,  and  from  which  the  finest  coke  in 
the  State  is  made,  extends  into  Greenbrier  county  from  the  west, 
covering  about  one- third  of  the  county,  or  some  200,000  acres. 
Throughout  all  this  section  of  the  county  three  workable  seams  of 
coal  are  found,  besides  several  smaller  ones.  The  three  that  may  be 
profitably  worked  are  the  Quinnimont  seam,  about  3  feet  4  inches 
thick,  the  Fire  Creek  seam,  just  above,  4  feet  2  inches  thick,  and 
above  this  the  Sewell  or  Nuttall  seam,  ranging  in  places  from  5J-  to 
7  feet  thick.  These  thicknesses  will  vary  some,  but  a  recent 
opening  which  gave  them  as  3  feet  8  inches,  4  feet  2  inches  and  6 
feet  11  inches  respectively  showed  about  the  average  thickness. 
These  veins  are  all  above  the  level  of  the  earth,  and  are  found  in 
the  hill  sides.  No  coal  has  ever  been  mined  in  the  county,  there 
being  no  means  of  getting  it  to  market,  and  no  developments  have 
been  made,  but  throughout  all  that  territory  watered  by  Clear  creek. 
Meadow  river,  Hominy  and  Cherry  and  expending  into  Fayette 
and  Nicholas  counties  the  coal  is  known  to  exist.  This  is  the  very 
best  coal  for  making  coke  and  its  proximity  to  the  iron  of  the 
county  makes  it  the  more  valuable.  The  same  veins  are  all  worked 
on  New  river,  in  Fayette  county,  and  successfully  coked.  New  River 
coke  being  unsurpassed  by  any. 

Iron. — This  county  lies  in  the  heart  of  the  richest  iron  region  in 
the  State.    Following  the  Alleghany  mountains  for  almost  their 


Greenbrier  Countv. 


149 


entire  length  deposits  of  iron  ore  are  found,  and  though  the  ores 
have  never  been  developed  in  West  Virginia,  some  investigation  of 
them  has  been  made  and  something  is  now  known  of  their  value  and 
extent  The  iron  of  Greenbrier  is  found  in  the  mountains  in  the  east- 
ern portion  of  the  count}^  in  great  abundance  and  of  fine  quality. 
Brown  hematite  is  the  principal  ore,  and  analyses  of  the  ores  found 
in  the  mountains  of  Greenbrier  and  similar  ores  in  counties  ad- 
joining, where  investigations  have  been  carried  further,  show  that 
the  amount  of  iron  in  the  ores  ranges  from  45.92  to  58  83  per  cent. 
The  value  of  the  ore  is  considerably  enhanced  by  reason  of  the 
proximity  of  limestone  and  coking  coal,  necessary  for  making  iron 
from  the  ores.  Placed  by  direct  railroad  communication  within 
easy  reach  of  the  ore  beds  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  this  region, 
which  includes  the  neighboring  counties  of  Pocahontas,  Greenbrier 
and  Monroe,  from  becoming  one  of  the  greatest  iron  producing  re- 
gions in  the  United  States.  Greenbrier  is  the  central  one  of  these 
three,  and  has  already  railroad  communication,  and  the  opening  of 
the  iron  mines  will  mark  a  new  and  prosperous  era  for  the  county. 

Timber. — Every  variety  of  valuable  timber  found  in  the  State 
grows  in  Greenbrier  county.  And  although  the  county  has  a  mer- 
ited reputation  as  an  agricultural  county  and  for  the  extent  of  its 
agricultural  interests,  there  are  still  from  one-half  to  two-thirds  of 
the  county  covered  with  the  natural  forests.  In  the  highest  alti- 
tudes in  the  northern  portion  of  the  county  are  found  large  forests 
of  the  black  spruce  or  "yew  pine."  This  black  spruce,  together 
with  cherry,  birch  and  sugar,  grows  principally  along  the  waters  of 
Cherry  river.  In  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county  is  a  very 
large  tract  of  fine  white  pine,  which  has  until  recently  been  un- 
touched. The  ravages  of  the  pine  destroying  insect  have  threatened 
the  destruction  of  the  white  pine  forests,  and  as  a  means  of  protec- 
tion a  portion  of  the  timber  is  being  cut.  There  was  at  one  time 
an  abundance  of  the  finest  walnut  timber,  but  it  was  destroyed  and 
wasted,  and  today  fences  may  be  seen  in  the  county  built  of  black 
walnut  rails.  Spruce,  pine  and  poplar  are  the  principal  soft  woods, 
w^hile  the  hard  woods,  which  are  found  both  in  the  eastern  and  west- 
ern portions  of  the  county,  are  principally  oaks,  cherry,  chestnut, 
maple,  birch,  hickory,  ash  and  locusts.  The  Greenbrier,  Meadow 
and  Cherry  rivers  and  their  tributaries  make  the  timber  of  the 


150 


Greenbrier  County, 


county  accessible  to  market.  The  mountains  in  the  eastern  portion 
of  the  county  are  covered  with  magnificent  oaks  of  several  varieties, 
and  the  value  of  the  tanbark  in  the  oak  forests  is  almost  incalcula- 
ble. With  plenty  of  hides  and  tanbark  in  abundance  there  would 
seem  to  be  inviting  openings  for  the  establishment  of  tanneries. 

Marble,  Stone,  Clay,  etc. — In  the  northea-tern  part  of  the  county 
among  the  Beaver  Lick  mountains  a  carboniferous  limestone  or 
marble  is  found,  very  fine  grained  and  soft,  susceptible  of  a  high 
polish  and  very  prett}'.  It  is  exactly  the  same  as  the  famous  Ten- 
nessee marble,  and  can  be  traced  along  the  mountains  all  the  way 
from  Tennessee.  In  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  county  near 
the  mouth  of  Muddy  creek,  in  the  hills  above  the  Greenbrier  river, 
a  ledge  of  very  pretty  gray  marble  has  been  found,  but  it  has  never 
been  developed. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  county  appears  the  brown  sandstone, 
which  is  found  on  both  sides  of  Greenbrier  and  New  rivers,  in 
Greenbrier,  Monroe  and  Summers  counties.  This  is  a  beautiful 
brown  stone,  and  the  quarries  which  have  but  recently  been  opened 
are  in  constant  receipt  of  more  orders  than  they  can  conveniently 
fill.  Quite  a  large  area  of  this  sandstone  lies  in  Greenbrier  county. 
Other  building  stones  are  abundant,  both  sand  and  lime  stones. 
Under  the  central  portion  of  the  county  there  are  some  800  feet  of 
limestone,  but  this  runs  out  just  a  little  to  the  v/est  of  Greenbrier 
river,  and  east  of  the  river  some  very  fine  fire  and  potter's  clays  are 
found.  Little  is  known  of  their  extent  or  indeed  of  anything  more 
than  their  existence. 

At  the  mouth  of  Second  creek,  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  the 
count}^,  gypsum  or  plaster  paris  is  found,  but  it  has  never  been 
utilized. 

A(3Ri(jULTUEE.  — Under  this  heading  Greenbrier  county  would 
stand  close  to,  if  not  at,  the  top  of  the  list  of  counties  in  West  Vir- 
ginia. The  most  magnificent  blue  grass  springs  up  in  every  portion 
of  the  county  as  soon  as  the  forests  are  removed  and  no  part  of 
Kentucky  c<i,n  excel  the  plateau  region  of  Greenbrier  county  in  the 
production  of  fine  blue  grass  sod  The  luxuriance  with  which  this 
blue  grass  grows  and  the  excellent  pasturage  it  affords  for  almost 
the  entire  year  have  caused  this  to  become  a  famous  stock  raising 
county.    Nearly  4,000  head  of  cattle  alone  are  exported  from  Green- 


Greenbrier  County. 


151 


brier  annually.  Many  of  them  go  to  the  eastern  markets,  though 
the  best  market  for  the  larger  stock  is  in  Liverpool,  and  many  of 
them  weighing  1400  pounds  and  over  are  sent  every  year  direct  to 
Liverpool  where  they  bring  a  better  price  than  at  home.  Greenbrier 
.cattle  are  eagerly  sought  in  the  Baltimore  and  New  York  markets 
also.  A  great  many  horses  are  raised  and  none  but  good  ones.  The 
horses  of  the  county  are  nearly  all  of  blooded  stock  and  some  of 
them  have  made  records  on  the  race  course.  The  roads  are  kept  in 
good  shape  and  the  horses  used  a  great  deal  and  there  is  encourage- 
ment to  breed  none  but  good  stock.  Sheep  raising  is  a  prominent 
industry  in  the  county  and  a  profitable  one.  With  little  attention 
the  sheep  flourish  and  yield  a  handsome  profit.  Spring  lambs  at 
six  months  will  average  about  75  pounds  in  weight  and  the  average 
weiglit  of  a  sheep's  wool  in  the  county  is  about  6  pounds.  Cattle 
and  sheep  raising  are  the  principal  occupations  of  the  people,  though 
other  branches  of  farming  receive  attention.  The  soil  of  the  coun- 
ty is  fertile  and  produces  well,  whatever  the  crop.  Even  the  lands 
now  in  forests  are  lich  and  very  productive  and  need  only  to  be 
cleared  to  make  fine  farnis.  Cereals  of  all  kinds  yield  well.  Wheat 
and  corn  are  raised  and  fruits  do  well,  a  good  deal  being  produced 
every  year.  With  pasture  unsurpassed,  the  county  is  naturally  a 
good  one  for  dairy  products,  and  Greenbrier  creamery  butter  is 
favorably  known  in  many  places.  During  the  summer  months  a 
great  deal  of  cream,  milk  and  buttermilk  is  sent  to  neighboring 
summer  resorts  while  in  the  winter  the  entire  product  is  made  into 
butter.  The  county  is  excellently  watered  and  the  grass  is  green 
almost  the  entire  year. 

Mineral  Waters. — Greenbrier  has  as  fine  limestone  springs  as 
can  be  found  in  any  place.  The  entire  county  is  supplied  with 
clear,  pure,  spring  water,  almost  ice  cold  the  year  round.  Besides 
these  there  are  numerous  sulphur  and  other  mineral  springs.  Several 
kinds  of  sulphur  water  pour  forth  from  the  interior  of  the  earth 
emitting  odors  suggestive  of  the  place  commonly  supposed  to  occupy 
the  center  of  the  earth,  and  fashionable  pleasure  and  health  resorts 
are  kept  at  the  springs.  At  one  hotel,  at  least,  in  the  county,  the 
guests  are  numbered  among  the  thousands  every  summer.  Many 
of  these  waters  are  remarkable  in  their  health  giving  properties. 


152 


Hampshire  County. 


HAMPSHIRE  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — The  first  county  West  of  the  three 
which  compose  the  eastern  "panhandle"  is  Hampshire.  On  the 
north  it  is  separated  from  Maryland  by  the  Potomac  river.  The 
eastern  boundary  separates  the  two  Virginias.  Through  the  west- 
ern portion  of  the  county  from  south  to  north  flows  the  South  Branch 
of  the  Potomac  river,  uniting  with  the  main  Potomac  river  in  this 
county.  In  the  eastern  portion  of  the  county,  almost  parallel  to 
the  South  Branch,  flows  the  Capon  river.  The  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
lailroad  follows  the  Potomac  river  along  the  northern  boundary, 
while  a  branch  of  the  same  road  extends  16  miles  from  the  main 
line  to  Romney,  the  count}'  seat,  which  thus  has  direct  railroad  con- 
nection with  the  world.  The  distance  to  Martinsburg  by  rail  is  80 
miles,  to  Baltimore  191,  to  Wheeling  282,  to  Parkersburg  236,  to 
Cincinnati  431,  and  to  Chicago  699  miles.  Parallel  to  the  B.  &  0. 
railroad  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Potomac  river,  flows  the  Chesa- 
peake and  Ohio  canal,  affording  cheap  transportation  from  Cumber- 
land, Maryland,  to  Washington,  D.  C.  The  county  is  principally 
mountainous  or  hilly,  not  over  a  fifth  of  the  county  being  level 
,land,  but  what  is  level,  and  even  the  hilly  portion  is  very  rich  and 
productive.  The  valleys  between  the  mountain  ranges  are  broad 
and  parts  of  them  rolling  or  hilly,  the  hilly  portion  being  about 
equal  in  extent  to  the  mountainous.  Hampshire  is  one  of  the  most 
favored  counties  in  the  State,  possessing  perhaps  a  greater  variety 
of  resources  than  any  other  county,  though  not  in  such  abundance 
as  some  others. 

Coal  — Though  not  claiming  much  in  the  way  of  coal,  Hamp- 
shire county  is  not  without  that  valuable  commodity  Near  the 
top  of  one  of  the  highest  mountains  in  the  county  a  7-foot  vein 
of  bituminous  coal  has  been  found.  The  extent  of  the  vein  is  not 
large,  being  over  a  comparatively  small  portion  of  the  county.  It 
has  been  found  in  but  one  place  as  yet,  but  there  is  another  moun- 
tain near  by  which  shows  identically  the  same  geological  formation 
and  reaches  the  same  or  a  greater  height  on  which  it  is  supposed 
t'je  same  coal  may  be  found.  There  arc  traces  also  of  anthracite 
coal  which  is  ibund  in  the  adjoining-  county  of  Morgan  and  in 
lierkeley,  but  sufficient  explorations  have  not  been  made  to  prove 


Hampshire  County. 


153 


its  existence  in  Hampshire.  A  kind  of  shale  is  found  at  about  the 
level  of  the  river  which  does  not  burn  like  coal,  but  when  mixed 
with  coal  or  wood  and  kept  burning  with  them,  enj^its  a  much  more 
intense  heat  than  either  one.  It  is  thought  that  underlying  this 
shale  anthracite  coal  may' be  found. 

Iron  — There  are  vast  deposits  of  brown  hematite  iron  ore  of  the 
finest  quality  throughout  Hampshire  county,  samples  of  which 
show  upon  analysis  51  and  52  per  cent,  of  metallic  iron.    This  ore 
exists  in  enormous  quantities  in  the  greater  part  of  the  county,  it 
being  believed  that  one  entire  mountain  is  composed  mainly  of  it. 
Eighty  years  ago  three  charcoal  iron  furnaces  were  established  in  the 
county  and  considerable  iron  was  produced,  but  competition  with 
furnaces  on  railroads  run  with  cheap  coal  was  too  strong  for  them 
and  they  were  abandoned,  the  last  of  ihem  some  ten  years  since. 
There  are  also  found  fine  samples  of  red  hematite,  magnetic,  man- 
ganetic  and  specular  iron  ores,  but  their  extent  is  not  known,  no 
one  ever  having  prospected  for  them  very  much.    The  red  hem- 
atite in  particular  seems  to  be  very  abundant.     Samples  of  these 
ores  are  found  in  various  parts  of  the  county  and  especially  near 
gaps  in  mountain  ranges  where  the  mountains  have  been  broken 
off  and  at  the  ends  of  ranges  which  have  been  broken,  indicating 
that  the  ores  underlie  the  mountains  and  if  proper  efforts  were  made 
to  discover  the  deposits  of  these  ores  there  is  little  doubt  but  they 
would  be  found  in  abundance,  for  traces  of  them  are  innumerable. 
But  the  people  of  the  county  have  never  thought  th(  y  had  the 
money  to  expand  in  properly  searching  for  these  ores,  and  very  lit- 
tle work  of  this  kind  has  ever  been  done.    The  abundance  of  the 
evidence,  though,  makes  it  almost  certain  that,  the  ores  are  to  be 
found  in  great  quantities. 

Manganese.— The  same  reasons  that  have  prevented  the  thorough 
investigation  of  the  iron  ore  deposits  have  prevented  the  discovery 
of  the  lull  extent  of  the  manganese  deposits;  but  manganese  is 
known  to  exist  in  considerable  quantities,  several  veins  of  it  having 
been  already  discovered. 

Plumbago.  Plumbago  or  graphite  is  found  in  several  places  in 
veins  2  and  8  inches  thick  Its  discovery  has  been  purely  acci- 
dental, no  search  has  ever  been  made  for  it  and  its  extent  is  un- 
known, but  it  is  hardly  probable  that  the  veins  so  far  discovered 


154  Hampshire  Counts. 

are  all  there  are,  and  proper  research  would  undoubtedly  reveal 
more. 

Other  Minerals. — Besides  those  already  mentioned  traces  of 
other  minerals  are  found,  such  as  gold,  silver,  lead,  copper  and  tin. 
Specimens  of  ores  have  been  found  in  Hampshire  county  bearing 
each  of  these  metals,  but  most  of  them  show  but  slight  traces. 
Pieces  of  copper  ore  are  found  in  a  great  many  places,  and  the  late 
Prof.  Baird,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution  at  Washington,  gave  it 
as  his  opinion  that  by  going  deep  under  the  mountains  copper 
might  be  found.  Lead  is  more  abundant,  and  although  the  vein 
has  not  yet  been  discovered,  great  pieces  of  almost  pure  galena  are 
frequently  found,  and  it  is  known  that  in  the  early  days  the  settlers 
ran  l)ullets  from  native  lead,  but  the  location  was  lost  and  search 
has  never  been  made  for  it. 

Marble. — Among  the  limestone  formations  of  the  county  are 
found  some  beautiful  black  and  white  marbles.  The  black  is  known 
to  be  found  in  abundance;  the  white  is  found  in  smaller  quantities, 
but  it  is  supposed  there  is  more  of  it  hidden  away  in  the  earth's  re- 
cesses, awaiting  only  the  looking  for  to  reward  the  discoverer  and 
reward  him  richly. 

Stone  — Limestone  is  found  throughout  the  county,  which  is 
valuable  for  building  stone  and  from  which  lime  is  burned.  There 
is  also  a  building  sand  stone  that  is  found  in  the  mountains.  When 
quarried  it  is  soft  and  may  be  easily  cut  or  sawed.  Exposed  to  the 
air  it  hardens  and  becomes  as  hard  and  durable  as  limestone. 

Glass  Sand. — Glass  sand  of  remarkable  whiteness  and  purity  is 
found  in  the  mountains  along  the  South  Branch  valley  in  large 
quantities. 

Clays.  — Fire  clays  are  abundant  throughout  the  county  in  all 
shades  from  almost  a  scarlet  to  blue  and  white.  A  potter's  ,clay  is 
also  found  which  but  for  a  slight  discoloration  due  to  the  presence 
of  iron,  would  make  porcelain  ware. 

Timber. — About  half  the  county  is  still  well  covered  with  timber. 
The  valleys  have  been  cleared  for  years  but  the  mountains  are  all 
well  timbered  with  oak,  hickory,  ash  and  other  hard  woods,  some 
pine  and  poplar.  The  pine  has  mostly  fallen  a  victim  to  the  ravages 
of  the  pine  destroying  insect.  The  South  Branch  and  Capon  rivers 
flow  through  the  entire  length  of  the  county  and  afford  the  means 


Hampshire  County. 


155 


of  timber  transportation  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  Chestnut  oak 
is  abundant  and  tanbark  is  a  source  of  considerable  wealth  to  the 
county.  Several  tanneries  are  located  in  the  county,  utilizing  most 
of  the  bark  that  is  now  produced. 

Agricultural. — There  are  some  very  fiae  farms  in  Hampshire 
county.  The  river  bottoms  are  well  adapted  to  agriculture,  the  hill 
and  mountain  lands  to  grazing.  With  this  combination  stock 
growing  is  the  natural  consequence  and  Hampshire  cattle  are  well 
and  favorably  known  in  cattle  markets.  The  level  lands  produce 
good  crops,  being  specially  suited  for  corn,  v^hich  is  used  for  fatten- 
ing the  cattle  which  graze  the  greater  portion  of  the  year  upon  the 
hills.  Blue  grass  grows  luxuriantly  and  Hampshire  shares  the  rep- 
utation of  the  entire  South  Branch  valley  as  a  most  excellent  agri- 
cultural region.  Sheep  thrive  with  little  care  and  are  very  profit- 
able. Fruit  does  well  upon  the  high  lands  and  a  good  deal  is  pro- 
duced. 

Mineral  Springs. — There  are  a  number  of  sulphur,  iron  and 
chalybeate  springs  in  the  county,  one  sulphur  spring  in  particular 
being  remarkably  fine  water,  equal  in  all  respects  to  the  White  Sul- 
phur water  of  Greenbrier  county.  The  Capon  springs  have  been  for 
many  years  a  favorite  resort  for  persons  in  search  of  health. 

Less  than  20  miles  from  Romney  is  a  remarkable  natural  curiosi- 
ty, the  wonderful  "Ice  Mountain/'  where  ice  stored  by  nature  is 
kept  packed  away  in  the  loose  rock  that  composes  the  mountain 
and  may  be  found  all  through  the  hottest  summer. 

HANCOCK  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — In  the  extreme  north  of  the  State, 
the  last  county  in  that  narrow  strip  of  West  Virginia  which  sepa- 
rates Ohio  from  Pennsylvania,  is  Hancock  county,  the  smallest  but 
one  in  the  State.  The  Ohio  river  separates  it  on  the  north  and  w^est 
from  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  on  the  east  lies  Pennsylvania.  A 
branch  of  the  P.  C.  C.  &.St.  L.  railroad  extends  from  tlie  main  line 
in  Brooke  county  to  New.- Cumberland,  the  county  seat  of  Hancock, 
a  distance  of  some  10  miles.  The  county,  it  will  thus  be  seen,  is 
admirably  situated,  having  communication  with  the  world  by  both 
river  and  rail.  The  distance  by  river  from  New  Cumberland  to 
Pittsburg  is  60  miles,  to  Cincinnati  445.    By  rail  the  distance  to 


156 


Hancock  County. 


Pittsburg  is  49  miles,  to  Wheeling  37,  to  Huntington  252,  to  Balti- 
timore  430,  to  Chicago  528.  The  county  is  in  the  main  hilly,  the 
valleys  narrow.  But  hills  and  valleys  are  both  fertile  and  none  of 
the  land  too  steep  for  pasture.  The  county  is  well  developed,  and 
has  several  very  profitable  resources.  There  is  practically  no  tim- 
ber in  the  county,  merely  enough  being  left  for  use  on  the  farms. 
But  other  resources  fully  make  up  for  the  want  of  timber. 

Coal  — Three  workable  veins  of  good  coal  underlie  the  entire 
county.  These  veins  are  high  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  but 
dip  toward  the  west  uniil  they  pass  beneath  the  bed  of  the  Ohio 
river,  being  found  some  25  feet  beneath  the  water  level  on  the  Ohio 
shore.  The  coal  is  a  good  soft  luel  coal,  not  suited  for  coking,  but 
burns  well.  The  upper  vein  is  about  4  feet,  the  second  3J  feet,  the 
lower  one  about  3  feet  in  thickness.  Immediately  below  the  lowest 
vein  is  a  ten-foot  bed  of  fire  clay,  which  is  extensively  mined. 
When  once  the  clay  is  taken  from  beneath  the  coal  the  latter  is 
readily  mintd.  The  coal  is  cut  along  the  sides,  a  wedge  is  driven  in 
above  and  the  entire  thickness  of  the  vein  is  brought  down  at  once. 
The  cost  of  mining  coal  in  this  way  is  not  over  one  cent  a  bushel. 
The  coal  is  used  in  the.  brick  kilns  and  potteries,  but  the  thickness 
ot  the  vein  is  not  in  proportion  to  the  thickness  of  the  clay  bed, 
and  not  enough  is  mined  for  use  in  the  county,  and  a  part  of  the 
coal  used  in  Hancock  is  brought  in  from  Pennsylvania. 

Fire  Clay. — An  inexhaustible  supply  of  fire  clay,  extends  over 
the  entire  county,  and  forms  the  basis  for  what  has  grown  to  be  the 
largest  fire  and  paving  brick  industry  in*  the  United  States.  For 
several  miles  along  the  river  in  this  county  brick,  tile  and  pottery 
works  follow  each  other  in  as  close  proximity  as  possible.  Most 
excellent  clay,  cheap  fuel  and  good  shipping  facilities  make  the 
business  profitable,  and  New  Cumberland,  a  flourishing  town  of 
nearly  3,000  people,  has  been  built  up  by  this  one  industry  alone. 
There  has  been  a  constant  growth  in  this  business,  and  as  the  paving 
of  roadways  with  brick  conies  more  into  use  the  business  will  in- 
crease the  more.  In  1867  there  were  6,800,000  fire  brick  made  in 
Hancock  county.  In  1«78  there  were  a  million  more.  In  1892  the 
estimated  production  of  the  county  was 70,000,000  brick.  These  sell 
for  from  eight  to  ten  dollars  per  thousand  at  the  kiln,  so  that  the; 
value  to  the  count}'  of  the  brick  business  is  now  something  like- 


Hancock  County. 


157 


two-tliirds  of  a  million  dolla:rs  a  year.  Besides  the  brick  business 
the  tile  and  pottery  industry  consumes  a  great  deal  of  clay  and  is 
worth  a  good  many  thousand  dollars  a  year  to  the  county.  Clay 
products  from  Hancock  county  are  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  world, 
the  demand  is  increasing  and  the  supply  of  clay  is  practically  in- 
exhaustible. 

Stone. — Limestone  is  found  in  abundance,  there  are  large  quan- 
tities of  sandstone  suitable  for  building  purposes,  and  a  flagstone  is 
found  in  a  portion  of  the  county  that  is  very  desirable  for  paving 
and  always  finds  ready  sale  in  the  Pittsburg  market. 

Oil. — Hancock  county  was  in  about  the  first  oil  and  gas  field  de- 
veloped in  the  country.  Gas  was  found  there  several  years  ago  in 
great  quantities,  and  was  used  in  the  kilns  and  potteries  at  a  great 
saving  in  fuel,  but  the  flow  has  ceased.  Following  the  gas  develop- 
ment oil  was  sought  in  Hancock  county  and  not  in  vain.  The  yield 
was  large  and  though  diminished  some  the  field  is  still  productive. 
The  depression  in  the  price  of  oil  has  removed  the  inducements  for 
large  production  and  the  quantity  of  oil  produced  annually  is  now 
smaller  than  it  was  some  years  ago.  The  present  output  is  esti- 
mated at  100,000  barrels  a  year,  on  which  the  farmers  receive  as 
royalty  something  like  $5,000,  without  so  much  as  turning  a  hand. 

Agriculture  — The  soil  of  Hancock  county  is  rich  and  produc- 
tive. It  is  a  remarkably  fine  grazing  county,  and  its  fruit  interests 
are  perhaps  the  largest  in  the  State.  All  the  Ohio  river  counties 
have  a  good  soil,  and  this  is  no  exception.  Corn,  wheat  and  all 
kinds  of  grains  do  well.  Vegetables  of  all  kinds  are  raised  to  a  con- 
siderable extent,  the  cities  in  close  proximity  creating  a  market  for 
all  that  is  grown. 

This  county  shares  the  reputation  which  all  the  panhandle  coun- 
ties have  for  sheep  raising .  Very  fine  sheep  are  raised,  and  the 
wool  is  of  the  best  quality  bringing,  along  with  that  from  neighbor- 
ing counties,  the  top  of  the  market  price.  Somewhat  discouraged 
by  prices  the  farmers  do  not  raise  so  many  sheep  as  a  few  years  ago, 
but  the  number  is  beginning  to  increase  and  will  eventually  be  very 
considerable. 

Fruit  raising  is  a  very  important  industry  ot  this  county,  apples 
receiving  the  principal  attention.  Though  there  was  not  over  half 
a  crop  last  year  the  yield  in  Hancock  county  was  something  like 


158 


Hardy  County. 


50,000  barrels,  a  great  many  of  which  were  shipped  direct  to  Liver- 
pool, competing  in  P]ngland  with  the  markets  of  the  world,  and 
bringing  in  return  to  the  county  of  Hancock  about  $100,000  for 
apples  alone. 

New  Cumberland,  which  in  1890  had  2,305  population,  an  in- 
crease in  ten  years  of  89.24  per  cent,  is  the  site  of  most  of  the  brick 
making  plants.  Thirteen  large  clay  working  plants  are  in  operation 
in  the  city.  It  is  an  enterprising  place  with  wide,  paved  streets, 
well  lighted,  handsome  public  buildings  and  some  nice  homes. 

HARDY  COUNTY. 

LocAiiON  AND  Character. — The  second  county  south  of  the  east- 
ern panhandle,  and  along  the  Virginia  border,  is  Hardy.  It  is  im- 
mediately south  of  Hampshire  county  to  which  it  is  similar  in 
every  respect,  the  same  rivers,  the  same  mountains  passing  through 
both  in  the  same  direction.  The  division  between  the  two  counties 
is  purely  an  artificial  one.  In  the  western  part  of  the  county  are 
the  South  Branch  river  and  the  South  Pork  of  the  same.  In  the 
eastern  part  is  the  Lost  river,  which  disappears  under  a  mountain 
near  the  county  line,  to  reappear  in  Hampshire  as  Cacapon  river, 
the  Indian  word  for  "found  again."  The  county  has  the  same  high 
mountains,  the  same  broad  and  fertile  valleys,  the  same  general 
character  as  Hampshire  county,  the  valleys  perhaps  more  fertile. 
Moorefield,  the  county  seat, is  at  the  confluence  of  the  South  Branch 
and  the  South  Fork  rivers,  27  miles  above  Romney,  the  closest  rail- 
railroad  point,  by  way  of  which  tlie  distance  from  Moorefield  to 
Martinsburg  is  107  miles,  to  Baltimore  221,  to  Parkersburg  263,  to 
Wheeling  259,  to  Cincinnati  458,  to  Chicago  726  miles. 

Up  to  the  present  time  no  coal  has  ever  been  found  in  Hardy,  and 
it  is  probably  one  of  three  counties  in  the  State  without  coal. 

laoN. — The  real  extent  of  the  iron  ores  of  this  county  is  hardly 
known,  though  enough  is  known  to  make  it  certain  that  the  depos- 
its of  iron  in  Hardy  county  are  among  the  richest  in  the  State. 
Three  veins  of  red  fossiliferous  hematite  iron  ore  are  found,  their 
thicknesses  8  inches,  1  foot  6  inches  and  3  feet  3  inches  respectively, 
containing  about  60  per  cent,  of  iron.  Above  this  bed  three  other 
beds  are  found,  25  feet  of  red  hematite,  30  feet  of  brown  hematite, 
and  14  feet  of  brown  hematite,  containing  from  45  to  62  per  cent. 


Hardy  Countv. 


159 


of  iron  The  thickness  of  another  bed  of  brown  hematite,  which 
was  worked  years  ago,  is  unknown,  having  been  dug  into  for  70  feet 
without  finding  the  bottom.  There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that 
the  mountains  in  every  portion  of  the  county  are  filled  with  valua- 
ble iron  ores.  Three  charcoal  furnaces  were  formerly  operated  in 
this  county  but  were  abandoned  because  of  competition  with  fur- 
naces on  railroads.  Some  of  the  ores  found  are  almost  pure  iron. 
A  horseshoe  made  before  the  war  in  a  Hardy  county  blacksmith 
shop,  direct  from  the  ore,  now  hangs  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary 
of  State  at  Richn)ond.    Several  others  have  been  made  since. 

Stone. — There  is  an  abundance  of  limestone  in  every  part  of  the 
county  in  close  proximity  to  the  iron  ores  and  valuable  for  use  in 
making  pig  iron.  Lime  is  also  burned  from  it  of  as  excellent  qual- 
ity as  that  produced  in  any  portion  of  the  country.  The  supply  of 
limestone  is  inexhaustible  and  extends  to  every  portion  of  the 
county.  There  is  good  building  limestone  and  sandstone  in  abun- 
dance. 

Clays.  -An  excellent  quality  of  fire  clay  is  found  in  the  county 
in  considerable  quantities,  while  pipe  and  potter's  clays  are  also 
found.  The  latter  has  been  worked  to  some  extent  and  only  its 
unfavorable  location  prevents  its  becoming  an  important  industry 
in  the  county. 

Mineral  Waters.  —  Near  Moorefield  is  a  very  fine  white  sulphur 
spring  and  others  are  found  in  various  parts  of  the  county,  all  of 
which  are  regarded  as  equal  in  value  to  the  white  sulphur  springs 
of  Greenbrier  county,  which  are  so  famous  and  to  which  they  are 
so  very  similar.  Alum  and  chalybeate  waters  are  found  in  many 
places  but  none  of  the  springs  have  ever  been  used  save  locally  and 
their  properties  are  unknown  beyond  the  limits  of  the  county. 

Timber. — The  timber  of  Hardy  county,  is  not,  as  a  rule,  fine, 
though  there  are  some  good  tracts.  About  a  fourth  of  the  county 
is  in  good  timber,  but  nearly  three  times  as  much  is  wooded.  The 
pine  has  nearly  all  been  killed  by  the  insect  which  has  been  so  des- 
tructive to  all  the  pine  forests  of  the  State.  The  principal  timber 
of  the  county  consists  of  white,  chestnut  and  other  varieties  of  oak, 
which  are  found  in  great  numbers  in  all  the  mountain  regions  of 
the  county.  There  is  also  some  hickory  and  walnut.  There  is 
very  little  poplar  and  the  walnut  is  fast  disappearing.    As  in  the 


160 


Hardy  County. 


other  counties  of  the  South  Branch  valley,  there  are  enormous 
quantities  of  tanbark,  which  together  with  the  fact  that  there 
are  a  great  many  cattle  raised  causes  tanneries  to  flourish. 
There  are  several  large  ones  in  this  county  and  a  good  deal  of 
bark  is  sent  out  besides.  There  are  vast  quantities  of  timber  suited 
for  ties  and  telegraph  poles  standing  in  the  woods. 

Agricultural. — Hardy  is  chiefly  an  agricultural  county  and 
possesses  some  magnificent  farms.  There  are  three  parallel  valleys 
in  the  county  extending  north  and  south — the  South  Branch,  the 
South  Fork  and  the  Lost  River  valleys.  All  are  very  fine  with 
broad  bottoms  and  rich  productive  soil.  This  soil  has  been  culti- 
vated in  places  for  over  100  years  and  is  still  as  good  as  ever.  No 
fertilizers  are  needed.  The  soil  is  from  12  to  14  feet  thick  and  if  it 
ever  gets  worn  out  needs  only  to  be  sown  in  clover  for  a  while  to 
liven  it  up  again  and  make  it  as  good  as  ever.  Corn  is  the  principal 
crop  of  the  county  and  a  magnificent  corn  country  it  is,  too.  The 
average  yield  is  over  50  bushels  to  the  acre  and  not  unfrequently  a 
good  field  will  run  up  to  from  65  to  90  bushels  an  acre  and  there  is 
one  field  the  yield  from  which  is  said  to  have  actually  reached  the 
enormous  amount  of  166  bushels  per  acre.  Wheat  yields  well 
though  it  is  not  raised  much.  The  soil  is  so  strong  the  wheat  grows 
rank,  producing  too  much  straw  and  not  enough  grain.  Hardy  is 
one  of  the  best  stock-raising  counties  in  West  Virginia.  Blue  grass 
grows  spontaneously  and  covers  the  county  with  excellent  pastur- 
age wherever  the  trees  are  cleared  away.  Stock  raising  proves  profit- 
able and  is  largely  engaged  in.  Hardy  cattle  are  favorably  known 
in  the  cattle  markets  and  are  shipped  in  large  numbers.  Most  of 
them  are  export  cattle,  which  must  be  unusually  large  and  fine,  and 
are  shipped  direct  to  Liverpool  or  London.  Sheep  are  not  raised  in 
great  numbers,  the  stock  men  believing  cattle  more  profitable. 
Some  very  fine  horses  are  bred  in  Hardy  county  and  all  the  horses 
used  in  the  county  for  farming  or  other  purposes  are  well  bred  and 
of  good  stock, 

HARRISON  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Ciiaractkr. — The  county  of  Harrison  lies  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  State  about  midway  between  the  State  of  JNJary- 
land  on  the  east  and  that  of  Ohio  on  the  west.   Dividing  the  county 


Harrison  County. 


161 


almost  into  equal  parts  the  West  Fork  river,  a  tributary  of  the  Mon- 
ongahela,  flows  toward  the  north.  The  river  in  this  county  is  not 
navigable,  but  with  its  numerous  tributaries  abundantly  waters  the 
country  through  which  it  passes.  From  Clari^pburg,  the  county 
seat,  southward  runs  the  West  Virginia  and  Pittsburg  railroad,  pen- 
etrating the  heart  of  West  Virginia  and  reaching  the  richest  coal 
and  timber  lands  in  the  State.  A  continuation  of  this  line,  under 
the  name  of  the  Monongahela  RiverRailroad  connects  Clarksburg  with 
Fairmont  in  the  next  county  north  and  the  Parkersburg  branch  of 
the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  runs  through  the  county  east  and 
west.  The  distance  by  rail  from,  Clarksburg  to  Wheeling  is  122 
miles,  to  Parkersburg  82,  to  Martinsburg  202,  to  Charleston  216,  to 
Baltimore  316,  to  Cincinnati  277,  to  Chicago  582.  The  surface  of  the 
county  is  rolling  with  low  hills,  mostly  flat  on  top  and  all  suitable 
for  grazing  and  cattle  raising.  In  the  western  part  of  the  county 
the  hills  rise  to  a  somewhat  greater  height  than  in  the  rest  of  the 
county,  but  nowhere  are  they  high  or  rugged.  The  county  is  almost  all 
available  for  farming  or  grazing  purposes.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest 
counties  in  the  State,  and  consequently  has  been  more  thickly  settled 
and  more  generally  cleared  than  many  of  the  others.  The  early  build- 
ing of  the  B.  &  0.  railroad  through  the  county  gave  it  an  impetus 
that  has  pushed  the  county  forward  in  advance  of  many  others. 
The  later  construction  of  the  other  roads  mentioned  has  added 
greatly  to  the  prosperity  of  the  county. 

Coal. — Harrison  county  lies  in  one  of  the  best  parts  of  the  great 
Pittsburg  coal  field,  and  for  a  great  many  years  the  develop- 
ment of  this  coal  has  been  going  on.  The  principal  vein  in  Harri- 
son county  averages  from  nine  to  ten  feet  in  thickness,  and  pro- 
duces an  average  of  about  16,000  tons  to  the  acre.  The  coal  is 
found  above  water  level  and  is  easily  mined  It  is  the  finest  kind 
of  bituminous  coal,  suitable  for  coking,  steam  and  gas.  It  is  ship- 
ped to  Chicago,  Cleveland  and  the  west  generally  as  well  as  to  the 
east.  In  the  New  York  markets  last  year  the  Harrison  cotinty  coal 
commanded  25  cents  more  on  the  ton  than  any  other  gas  coal  on 
the  market.  Thirty  feet  above  this  principal  vein  is  another  smaller 
one,  and  70  feet  above  is  still  another  from  two  to  three  feet  in 
thickness,  but  these  are  both  too  small  to  pay  to  work,  and  the  only 
operations  in  the  county  so  far  have  been  confined  to  the  one  vein. 


1G2 


Harrison  County. 


Beneath  the  surface  of  the  earth,  some  480  feet  below  the  Pittsburg 
vein  of  coal,  is  a  bed  of  the  Upper  Freeport  coal  from  4  to  5  feet 
thick.  This  too  is  a  good  coking  coal  and  will  doubtless  some  day- 
be  mined  and  sold-  The  reports  of  the  State  Mine  Inspectors  show 
that  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1891,  the  six  mines  in  Harrison 
county  produced  113,268  tons  of  coal  and  that  6,214  tons  of  coke 
were  made'in  the  county.  For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1892,  the 
production  of  coal  was  142,960  tons  and  of  coke  5,590  tons. 

Iron. — Fifty  years  ago  the  iron  industry  in  this  county  was  a 
thriving  one.  Iron  abounds  in  all  parts  of  the  county  and  at  that 
time  it  was  largely  manufactured  and  products,  such  as  nails  and 
various  kinds  of  hollow  ware,  were  floated  down  the  Monongahela 
river  in  great  quantities  and  taken  to  the  present  great  iron  market 
of  Pittsburg.  Bat  the  industry  has  died  out  in  this  county.  The 
ore  is  still  found  in  great  quantities  but  not  so  rich  as  is  found  in 
other  places  and  the  facilities  for  its  manufacture  and  shipment  are 
not  so  good,  so  that  now  there  is  no  iron  made  in  the  county. 

Cla^s. — Fire  and  brick  clays  are  found  in  considerable  quanti- 
ties but  their  real  extent  is  yet  unknown.  Excellent  ordinary  red 
brick  are  made,  as  good  as  are  made  anywhere,  and  are  shipped  in 
large  quantities,  but  no  tests  of  the  fire  clays  have  ever  been  made. 
They  exist  though,  and  it  is  thought  that  they  a^-e  widely  distrib- 
uied  and  of  excellent  quality.  Fine  potter's  clays  are  found  and 
these  are  worked  at  Shinnston  and  Bridgeport  where  crockery  and 
hollow  ware  are  made  in  considerable  quantities.  The  clay  is  found 
with  the  coal. 

St.»ne. — Limestone  abounds  throughout  the  county,  and  some 
very  fine  specimens  of  it  are  found.  Besides  the  limestone  there  is 
a  very  fine  quality  of  building  sandstone  that  is  found  in  various 
places.  It  is  a  pretty  stone  and  is  a  valuable  one  for  building  pur- 
poses. 

Oil  and  Gas. — Twelve  miles  wf^st  of  Clarksburg  in  the  Dunkard 
sand  a  Ifttle  oil  has  been  found,  but  it  is  just  being  developed  and 
whether  it  will  be  found  in  large  quantities  or  not  remains  to  be 
seen.  The  people  of  Harrison  county  think  there  is  oil  in  their 
county  though,  and  one  of  them,  Prof.  Jackson,  is  preparing  to  sink 
a  test  well  ten  miles  west  of  Clarksburg,  that  will  be  bored  clear 
into  tlie  lowest  sand  with  a  view  to  testing  fully  the  county  for  oil. 


Harrison  County.  ;I(53 

The  county  is  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the  largest  gas  fields  in  the 
world,  and  the  city  of  Clarksburg  is  heated  by  gas  from  a  well 
which  if  not  the  largest  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world,  which 
pours  forth  its  tremendous  volumes  of  gas  with  the  highest  pressure 
known  in  any  gas  well  in  the  country.  With  an  abundance  of  gas 
and  oil  surrounding  the  county,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  oil 
will  some  time  be  found  there. 

^  Timber.- Being  one  of  the  oldest  settled  counties  in  the  State,  the 
timber  has  long  since  disappeared  to  give  way  for  the  cultivation  of 
the  rich  soil  the  county  possesses.  Much  of  it  has  been  cut  and  used 
upon  the  farms  of  the  county ;  much  was  in  the  earlier  days  floated 
down  the  West  Fork  river,  and  now  not  over  a  tenth  part  of  the 
county  is  still  in  timber.  What  there  is,  is  principally  the  oaks. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  wooded  land,  covered  with  trees  suitable  for 
rails  and  other  rough  timber,  but  there  is  practically  no  saw  tim.ber 
left. 

Agricultural. -Agriculturally  the  county  of  Harrison  is  one  of 
the  best  in  the  State.  Its  soil  is  a  rich  limestone  soil  that  produces 
the  finest  kind  of  blue  grass  sod,  and  also  brings  good  farm  crops. 
Among  the  counties  of  the  State  Harrison  stands  first  in  the  pro- 
duction of  horses,  cattle,  milch  cows  and  dairy  products.  Grazing 
is  the  principal  occupation  of  most  of  the  citizens  of  the  county,  and 
the  splendid  lands,  rich,  productive  and  well  watered,  are  made  to 
do  their  best  in  the  production  of  fine  stock.  Immense  quantities 
of  cattle  and  sheep  and  other  animals  are  shipped  every  yea-r  from 
this  county.  It  is  also  especially  well  adapted  to  the  culture  of 
fruits— apples,  pears,  grapes  and  other  fruits  producing  abundantly 
and  of  splendid  quality.  A  few  mineral  springs  are  found  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  county,  red  and  white  sulphur  waters  being  the 
principal  ones  found. 

Clarksburg  is  seventh  of  the  West  Virginia  towns  in  population 
haying  m  1890,  3,008  people,  a  gain  of  30. 89  per  cent,  in  ten  years. 
It  is  a  railroad  center  and  commercial  town  with  some  manufactur- 
ing, and  is  in  the  midst  of  a  splendid  agricultural  country.  There 
are  handsome  public  buildings  and  homes  and  much  wealth  in  the 
town. 


164 


Jackson  County. 


JACKSON  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character.-  Jackson  county  lies  along  the  western 
border,  immediately  west  of  the  center  of  the  State.  It  includes 
within  its  borders  the  larger  part  of  the  great  Pomeroy  bend  in  the 
Ohio  river,  and  just  beyond  is  the  State  of  Ohio.  Its  river  front- 
age is  over  25  miles,  while  through  the  county  flow  Mill  creek  and 
Sandy  creek,  which  with  their  tributaries  water  the  entire  county 
well.  Along  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  river  runs  the  Ohio  River  rail- 
road. The  Ravenswood,  Spencer  &  Glenville  railroad  leaves  the 
Ohio  river  at  Ravenswood,  passes  through  the  county  eastward  and 
on  to  Spencer,  in  Roane  county.  The  Ripley  &  Mill  Creek  Valley 
railroad  leaves  the  Ohio  River  road  at  Ripley  Landing,  and  follows 
up  the  Mill  Creek  valley  to  Ripley,  the  county  seat.  Ripley  is  12 
miles  from  the  river,  56  from  Parkersburg,  150  from  Wheeling,  89 
from  Huntington,  250  from  Cincinnati  and  555  from  Chicago.  The 
county  is  rolling  and  hilly,  with  some  high  plateaus  and  well 
watered  valleys  In  the  southern  part  of  the  county  some  small 
mountains  appear,  but  most  of  the  county  is  not  mountainous. 

Coal. —There  is  no  surface  coal  in  this  county,  but  plenty  may- 
be found  deep  in  the  earth.  The  coal  dips  low  under  Jackson 
county,  reappeaiing  above  the  sur%ce  in  Mason  county  and  at  Pom- 
eroy, but  in  boring  for  oil  in  Jackson  county  the  first  coal  was  found 
at  120  feet  below  the  surface.  This  vein  is  from  7  to  10  feet  thick, 
and  is  an  excellent  fuel  coal,  but  not  suitable  for  coking. 

Iron. — There  are  some  scattering  iron  ores  in  Jackson  county, 
but  there  is  not  known  to  be  any  valuable  deposit  of  iron  in  the 
county.  Some  years  ago  a  purchase  of  iron  property  was  made  by 
an  iron  company  in  the  Mill  Creek  valley,  but  it  was  never  devel- 
oped, the  iron  probably  not  being  in  workable  quantities  or  of  suffi- 
cient value. 

Timber  — The  county  was  at  one  time  well  timbered,  but  the 
value  of  the  timber  and  its  accessibility  to  market  have  caused  the 
destruction  of  most  of  the  forests  so  that  now  not  over  a  fifth  of  the 
county  is  covered  with  valuable  timber.  The  poplar  is  almost  gone 
and  the  walnut  entirely  so,  but  there  is  still  much  good  oak  left. 
In  the  southern  end  of  the  county,  along  the  waters  of  Poca  river, 
which  flows  through  Kanawha  and  Putnam  counties  into  the  Ka- 


JacksuxN  County. 


165 


nawha  river,  there  is  still  a  great  deal  of  very  fine  timber,  but  the 
rest  of  the  county  is  so  well  watered  with  streams  suitable  for  float- 
ing logs,  and  so  close  to  places  where  the  timber  is  exhausted  that 
the  best  has  all  gone  out.  A  few  years  ago  the  stave  business  was  a 
tremendous  one.  In  Ravenswood,  the  principal  town  of  the  county, 
acre  after  acre  was  covered  with  staves  a  few  years  ago,  and  from  50 
to  60  wagon  loads  were  brought  in  daily  from  the  country.  Even 
now  there  is  a  good  deal  done  in  the  stave  trade,  though  not  so 
much  as  formerly.  Railroad  ties  are  one  of  the  principal  products 
of  the  Jackson  timber  lands,  and  many  of  them  are  left  where  saw 
timber  is  all  taken  out. 

Agricultural, — This  is  pre-eminently  an  agricultural  county,  and 
is  an  example  of  the  coming  condition  of  many  of  the  counties  in 
the  State  after  their  timber  is  exhausted,  and  before  their  minerals 
are  developed.  There  is  some  very  excellent  farming  land  in  the 
county.  Some  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  Ohio  valley  are  located  in 
Jackson  county,  and  there  is  none  of  the  county  but  what  is  suited 
for  grazing.  Sleek,  fat  cattle  are  raised  in  great  numbers,  and  sheep 
are  very  profitable.  A  portion  of  the  county  has  a  limestone  soil 
and  produces  an  excellent  blue  grass  sod.  The  land,  though  not 
mountainous,  is  high  and  dry,  and  sheep  and  cattle  thrive  exceed- 
ingly well.  The  farm  lands  produce  abundant  crops  of  grain,  wheat 
and  corn  being  chiefly  raised.  The  experience  of  farmers  in  this 
county  is  that  sheep  are  very  little  care  and  very  profitable.  Lands 
are  cheap,  pasture  good,  and  with  little  trouble  a  nice  profit  may  be 
made  on  sheep. 

JEFFERSON  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character  — JefTerson  is  the  easternmost  county 
in  the  State,  the  last  one  in  the  eastern  panhandle.  It  lies  in  the 
magnificent  Valley  of  Virginia,  between  the  Alleghan}^  mountains 
on  the  west  and  the  Blue  Ridge  on  the  east,  one  of  the  finest  agri- 
cultural regions  in  either  of  the  Virginias.  Along  the  northeast 
border  of  the  county  flows  the  Potomac  river.  At  the  base  of  the 
Blue  Ridge,  which  forms  the  southeastern,  border  of  the  county, 
flows  the  Shenandoah  in  a  northeast  direction,  empt3ang  into  the 
Potomac  at  Harper's  Ferry,  where  Maryland  and  the  Virginias  meet. 
The  main  line  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  connecting  Baltimore 


166  Jefferson  County. 

with  Chicago  and  the  west,  passes  through  the  county.  The 
Virginia  Valley  division  of  the  same  road,  connecting  the  main  line 
with  Staunton  and  Lexington,  also  passes  through  the  county.  The 
Valley  division  of  the  Norfolk  and  Western  also  runs  the  entire 
length  of  the  county,  north  and  south,  crossing  the  B.  &  O.  at 
Charles  Town,  the  county  seat.  Any  part  of  the  county  is  easily 
accessible  from  railroad  points.  Charles  Town  is  65  miles  by  rail 
from  Washington,  105  from  Baltimore,  313  from  Parkersburg,  309 
from  Wheeling,  508  from  Cincinnati,  and  776  from  Chicago.  By 
way  of  the  valley  Charles  Town  is  116  miles  Irom  Staunton,  Va., 
252  from  Richmond  and  349  from  Charleston,  W.  Va.  On  the 
Maryland  shore  of  the  Potomac  river  is  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
canal,  affordinsj  cheap  transportation  to  Washington  and  the  bay. 
The  county  was  among  the  earliest  settled  portion  of  the  State  and 
contains  an  old  established  population.  The  county  is  rolling 
throughout  its  entire  extent,  save  in  the  southeast  where  the  Blue 
Ridge  mountains  rise  to  a  considerable  height.  Jefferson  is  one  of 
the  three  counties  of  West  Virginia  in  which  coal  has  not  been 
found,  but  its  close  proximity  to  rich  coal  fields  affords  plenty  of 
cheap  fuel  for  local  use. 

TiMBKR. — Though  the  county  is  almost  without  timber,  with  cer- 
tainly not  over  one-tenth  of  the  original  amount  still  standing, 
there  is  still  enough  left  for  all  farm  purposes,  and  a  little  to  spare. 
There  are  no  large  tracts,  but  small  pieces  are  reserved,  and  what 
any  farmer  needs  is  close  at  hand.  There  is  besides  the  oak,  hick- 
ory and  poplar  left,  a  little  walnut  which  has  not  been  taken  out, 
but  very  little.  Some  tanbark  is  gotten  out  also,  but  not  in  great 
quantities.  Timber  is  cut  to  a  considerable  extent  to  supply  several 
pulp  mills  which  are  in  operation  in  Jefferson  county.  The  soft 
woods  that  have  hitherto  been  thought  valueless  are  now  being 
utilized  by  the  pulp  mills  for  making  wood  pulp  for  paper 

Iron.  —  Iron  ores  may  be  found  in  almost  inexhaustible  quanti- 
ties, a  single  mine  having  yielded  ore  for  over  a  hundred  years,  and 
still  producing  liberally.  The  same  deposit  is  mined  today,  and 
many  tons  are  taken  out  daily  to  furnaces  outside  the  State.  The 
output  is  gauged  only  by  the  demand  and  the  will  of  the  owner. 
This  ore  which  is  a  rich  quality  of  brown  hematite,  extends  over 
about  the  entire  portion  of  the  county,  and  has  been  mined  in  sev- 


Jefferson  Couinty. 


167 


eral  ]>laceK,  always  making  good  iron.  It  contains  from  50  to  GO 
per  cent,  of  metallic  iron.  The  cellular,  honey-combed  Und  pipe 
varieties  of  the  brown  hematite  are  found.  There  have  been  fur- 
naces in  Jefferson  county,  but  the  ores  now  mined  are  taken  outside 
the  county. 

Limestone.  This  may  be  found  in  every  portion  of  the  county 
except  the  small  part  east  of  the  Shenandoah  river,  which  is  of 
sandstone  and  slate  formation.  Lime  of  excellent  quality  is  made 
at  numerous  places  in  the  county  from  the  abundant  stone,  and 
commands  a  good  price  in  the  markets. 

A  hydraulic  limestone  is  also  found  in  portions  of  the  county, 
from  which  a  superior  quality  of  cement  is  made.  These  cement 
works  have  been  in  operation  for  some  time,  and  Jefferson  county 
cement  is  well  known  to  the  trade. 

A  very  handsome  limestone  for  building  purposes  is  abundant, 
and  is  in  great  demand  in  the  city  of  Washington.  All  the  stone 
for  the  building  of  the  British  Legation  and  other  handsome  struc- 
tures in  the  national  capital,  was  quarried  in  Jefferson  county  and 
taken  down  the  canal  on  flat  boats.  This  stone  is  very  plentiful 
throughout  the  county. 

Marble.  — Some  of  the  limestone  approaches  and  even  becomes 
marble,  and  in  several  places  in  the  county  a  beautiful  marble  is 
found  of  good  color  and  taking  a  high  polish,  but  no  development 
of  these  deposits  has  ever  been  made. 

Agricultural. — It  is  principally  as  an  agricultural  county  that 
Jefferson  is  known.  Lying  as  it  does  in  the  best  part  of  the  Valley 
of  Virginia,  its  soil  is  remarkably  productive.  It  was  settled  among 
the  first  of  all  the  counties  now  comprised  in  West  Virginia,  and  its 
value  as  farming  property  has  been  known  ever  since,  so  that  almost 
the  entire  county  has  been  long  since  devoted  to  farming.  Little  of 
the  county  is  rough,  and  most  of  it  is  beautiful,  level  or  rolling, 
rich  farming  land.  The  average  yield  of  wheat  through  the  county 
is  from  20  to  23  bushels  to  the  acre,  of  corn  50  bushels.  The  soil 
is  a  limestone  one,  and  brings  magnificent  blue  grass.  Cattle  are 
raised  and  many  sold  every  year,  principally  to  the  export  trade. 
Some  sheep  are  also  raised,  but  not  so  many  as  might  ,  be.  The 
proximity  to  market,  added  to  the  productiveness  of  the  soil,  makes 
Jefferson  doubly  valuable  as  a  farming  county.    Farm  products  of 


168 


Jefferson  County. 


all  kinds  may  be  put  into  the  markets  of  Washington  and  Balti- 
more in  a  few  hours  from  almost  any  part  of  the  county.  Fruit 
culture  offers  vast  possibilities  in  this  county,  though  not  so  much  at- 
tention is  paid  to  fruit  as  could  be  done  profitably.  The  most  mag- 
nificent peaches  are  grown  in  the  county,  as  most  persons  who  have 
passed  through  the  county  by  rail  have  discovered,  for  boys  with 
baskets  board  every  train,  with  this  luscious  fruit  for  sale.  Cream- 
eries and  canning  works  would  undoubtedly  prove  profitable  in 
Jefferson  county. 

Charles  Town,  the  business  and  banking  point  for  a  large  and 
prosperous  agricultural  community,  had  in  1890  a  population  of 
2,287,  a  gain  of  13.44  per  cent,  in  ten  years.  There  is  some  manu- 
facturing done  in  the  town  but  it  is  principally  as  the  center  of  the 
rich  farming  country  tlia^,  it  has  attained  its  present  position.  It 
has  a  delightful  climate  and  many  prominent  people  live  there. 

KANAWHA  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Ciiauacter,— Kanawha,  the  third  county  in  the 
8tate  in  size,  the  first  in  population,  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Great 
Kanawha  and  Elk  rivers,  southwest  of  the  center  of  the  State.  Its 
surface  is  varied,  mountainous  in  the  east  and  south,  hilly  in  the 
other  parts  with  broad  bottom  lands  along  the  Kanawha  valley. 
There  art:  a  good  many  smaller  water  courses  in  the  county  and  all 
have  fertile  level  lands  in  their  valleys.  Much  of  the  county, 
though  neither  rough  nor  broken,  is  high,  but  there  are  few  moun- 
tains in  the  county  unfit  for  cultivation.  The  Great  Kanawha  river 
flows  for  nearly  50  miles  through  the  county,  navigable  all  the  way, 
by  means  of  which  cheap  transportation  is  given  the  enormous  quan- 
tities of  coal  and  timber  that  go  annually  out  of  the  county.  The 
Elk  river,  which  empties  into  the  Kanawha  at  Charleston,  flows  for 
some  20  miles  through  the  county  before  it  reaches  che  Kanawha, 
and  is  navigable  in  favorable  seasons  for  small  steamboats  to  the 
county  line.  Coal  river,  Pocataligo  river  and  other  smaller  streams 
are  large  enough  to  bring  out  a  great  deal  of  timber  whenever  there 
is  a  rise.  What  these  rivers  are  to  the  county  may  be  seen*  from 
the  report  of  A.  M.  Scott,  Resident  U.  S.  Engineer  at  Charleston,  in 
charge  of  the  rivers.  His  report  for  1892  shows  the  tonnage  of  the 
Groat  Kanawha  river  as  recorded  at  Lock  Six,  four  miles  from 


Kanawha  County. 


169 


Charleston,  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1892,  to  be  as  follows : 
Coal,  26,787,788  bushels  or  1,071,511  tons;  timber,  39,585,000  feet 
B.  M.  or  65,975  tons;  tanbark  590  cords,  590  tons;  railroad  ties 
924,650  or  138,697  tons;  hoop-poles  980,000  or  2,450  tons;  shingles 
2,750,000  or  4,125  tons;  brick  150,000  or  337  tons;  merchandise  and 
produce  by  steamboat  74,800  tons;  total  tonnage  1,360,750.  The 
report  also  shows  that  44,400,000  feet  (B.  M.)  of  logs  and  lumber, 
380,000  railroad  ties,  1,405,000  oak  staves  and  240  cords  of  oak  tan- 
bark  came  out  of  Elk  river  in  the  year  ending  June  30,  1892,  a  total 
of  139,800  tons.  From  the  report  we  quote:  "The  44,400,000  feet 
of  lumber  is  divided  in  kind  about  as  follows:  Poplar  33,000,000 ; 
white  oak  8,000,000;  hemlock  1,500,000;  the  rest  being  mainly  wal- 
nut and  ash.  The  amount  of  general  merchandise  and  produce 
carried  on  the  river  is  estimated  at  10,000  tons,  making  the  total  for 
the  year  with  the  timber  product  as  above  149,800  tons." 

In  addition  to  the  river  transportation  the  county  is  well  sup- 
plied with  railroads.  For  its  entire  length  through  the  county  the 
Kanawha  river  has  a  railroad  on  either  side,  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  on  the  south  connecting  Cincinnati  with  Richmond  and 
Washington,  the  Kanawha  and  Michigan' on  the  north,  connecting 
the  C.  &  0.  in  Fayette  county  with  Toledo  and  Columbus,  Ohio  By 
way  of  these  railroads  Charleston,  the  county  seat,  is  50  miles  from 
Huntington,  228  from  Wheeling,  387  from  Washington,  369  from 
Richmond,  191  from  Columbus,  310  from  Toledo,  212  from  Cincin- 
nati and  517  from  Chicago.  By  river  Charleston  is  261  miles  from 
Cincinnati.  The  Charleston,  Clendennin  &  Sutton  railroad,  design- 
ed to  be  a  connecting  north  and  south  line  through  the  center  of 
the  State,  is  already  completed  20  miles  up  Elk  river,  and  is  soon 
to  be  extended.  Several  short  line  roads  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  county  connect  large  coal  mines  with  the  C.  &  0.  R'y.  The 
most  populous  and  one  of  the  largest,  Kanawha  is  also  one  of  the 
richest  and  most  varied  in  its  natural  resources  of  any  of  the  coun- 
ties in  the  State. 

Coal.— All  the  soft  coals  found  in  the  State  are  found  in  Kana- 
n  ha  county.    The  splint,  steam,  gas,  luel,  coking,  cannel  and  semi- 
nnel  are  all  found  in  the  county  and  there  is  no  part  of  the  coun- 
I  ty  in  which  coal  is  not  found.    Along  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  rail- 
I  road  and  the  river  it  is  extensively  mined,  but  elsewhere  little  has 

I 


170 


Kanawija  Gouni  y. 


been  dug.  In  the  eastern  and  southwestern  portioras  of  the  county 
cannel  coal  is  found  and  has  been  mined  at  Caimelton,  on  Mill 
Creek  of  Elk  river  and  a  ong  Big  Coal  river.  North  of  Charleston 
and  along  Elk  river  some  little  coal  is  mined  for  local  use  and 
splendid  coal  it  is.  The  reports  of  the  Slate  Mine  Inspector  show 
that  in  ihe  year  ending  June  30,  1891,  there  were  48  mines  in  the 
county,  employing  2,710  men  and  producing  1,209,386  tons  of  coal, 
and  12  coke  ovens  producing  5,037  tons  of  coke.  For  the  year  end- 
ing June  30,  1892,  the  production  of  coal  was  1,175,371  tons  and  of 
coke  2,311  tons.  The  completion  of  the  railroad  up  Elk  river  from 
Charleston,  and  of  the  Kanawha  &  Michigan  railroad  up  the  Kana- 
wha from  Charleston  will  open  up  a  large  number  of  new  mines 
:uid  materially  increase  the  output  oi  Kanawha  coal. 

Iron. — Scattered  through  nearly  every  part  of  the  county  are  iron 
ores  of  greater  or  less  value.  In  the  southern  nart  of  the  county  a 
few  years  ago,  a  black  band  iron  ore  was  found  in  considerable 
quantities,  and  an  iron  furnace  was  operated  at  Spring  Hill,  six 
miles  west  of  Charleston,  in  which  this  ore  was  used,  but  deposits  of 
black  band  are  variable,  and  the  ore  in  this  one  soon  became  too 
thin  to  be  profitably  worked.  Veins  of  ore  from  fifteen  inches  to  a 
few  feet  in  thickness  have  been  found  throughout  the  county,  both 
hematites  and  gray  carbonates.  In  the  hills  at  Charleston  is  a  small 
seam  which  was  opened  up  some  years  ago,  and  in  1872  the  erection 
of  a  furnace  to  use  this  ore  was  begun,  but  financial  difficulties  pre- 
vented the  completion  of  the  furnace  and  no  iron  was  ever  made. 

Salt. — Five  miles  from  Charleston,  on  the  Kanawha  river,  the 
first  salt  ever  made  by  white  people  west  of  the  Alleghanies  was 
made,  and  since  that  time  hundreds  of  thousands  of  barrels  of  it 
have  been  made  and  sent  to  maiket.  At  one  time  there  was  scarcely 
a  distance  of  a  mile  along  the  river  for  20  miles  where  there  were 
not  one  or  more  salt  furnaces  in  operation.  The  brine  is  found  at  a 
depth  of  1,000  feet  or  more,  is  pumped  into  vate  and  evaporated, 
leaving  the  crystallized  product.  The  Kanawha  salt  is  especially  in 
demand  by  pork  packers,  possessing  peculiar  qualities  necessary  for 
that  use.  At  present  a  single  furnace  is  in  operation  in  the  county, 
making  salt  with  natural  gas  for  fuel.  Bromine  is  also  made  from 
the  salt,  and  other  chemicals  might  be.    Soda-ash,  so  largely  used 


KANAWfiA  County. 


171 


throughout  tlie  country,  and  all  imported,  might  be  as  cheaply 
made  here  as  anywhere,  and  ought  to  be. 

Mineral  Waters. — Besides  the  salt  water  other  mineral  waters 
are  found.  Sulphur,  alum,  chalybeate  and  lithia  waters  are  found 
in  the  county,  all  possessing  more  or  less  medicinal  virtue  They 
are  only  used  locally. 

Oil  and  G-as  — In  the  days  when  George  Washington  was  carry- 
ing the  chain  and  compass  across  the  Alleghany  mountains,  before 
the  war  of  the  revolution,  natural  gas  had  been  discovered  in  what 
is  now  Kanawha  county,  and  since  that  time  it  has  been  put  to 
})ractical  use  in  the  making  of  salt.  There  is  undoubtedly  much 
of  it  though  all  the  wells  as  yet  bored  for  it  have  brought  but  a 
small  floAV  of  gas.  Proper  search  will  doubtless  reveal  large  quan- 
tities of  gas,  and  yet,  with  coal  so  close  and  cheap,  gas  is  not  needed 
by  our  people  Oil  has  been  bored  for  and  in  portions  of  the 
county  has  been  found  in  small  quantities,  but  no  investigations 
have  yet  proved  its  existence  in  paying  quantities,  though  there  is 
every  indication  that  the  great  oil  belt  of  Pennsylvania  which  has 
been  followed  into  West  Virginia,  extends  on  through  the  southern 
part  of  the  State,  and  througli  this  county. 

Clats. — Excellent  brick  clays  are  found  in  abundance  in  the 
county,  and  millions  of  brick  have  been  made.  The  clay  makes  a 
beautiful  smooth  red  brick,  ver}^  desirable  for  building  purpos3S,  and 
so  hard  that  several  miles  of  Charleston  streets  have  been  paved 
with  them.  Fire  clays  are  also  found  in  large  deposits,  but  none 
have  yet  been  worked.  The  demand  for  tire  brick,  sewer  pipe,  etc  , 
will  doubtless  cause  the  development  of  fire  clay  before  long. 
,  Stone. — No  finer  building  stone  is  found  anywhere  than  that 
which  fills  the  hills  of  Kanawha  county.  A  hard,  clean,  lasting 
sandstone,  it  is  of  great  value  for  building  and  extensively  used. 
The  capitol,  court  house,  several  churches  and  building  blocks  in 
Charleston  show  to  good  advantage  the  beauty  of  the  stone.  It  is 
particularly  adapted  for  use  under  water,  resisting  the  action  of  the 
waves  for  years,  and  for  this  purpose  it  has  been  extensively  used. 
The  government  locks  of  the  Kanawha  river  have  all  been  built  of 
it,  and  bridge  piers  in  the  Ohio  river  have  been  constructed  of  stone 
from  quarries  in  Kanawha  county. 

Glass  Sand. — Though  none  has  ever  been  used  here  the  glass 


172 


Kanawha  County. 


sand  of  Kanawha  has  been  tested,  and  found  to  be  well  suited  for 
making  glass.    There  is  much  of  it  awaiting  development. 

Timber. — Though  Kanawha  has  been  cleared  and  settled  until  it 
now  contains  more  people  than  any  other  county  in  the  State,  there 
is  perhaps  a  half  the  county  still  in  the  original  forest.  The  valleys 
of  the  rivers  and  the  streams  have  all  been  cleared,  but  back  from 
the  water  courses  where  timber  would  have  to  be  hauled  several 
miles  little  or  none  has  ever  been  cut.  Statistics  given  above  give 
some  idea  of  the  size  of  the  timber  business  in  the  county.  Some 
of  the  timber  mentioned  is  cut  in  other  counties,  but  Coal  and  Po- 
cataligo  rivers  both  bring  down  great  quantities  of  timber,  neither  of 
which  figure  in  the  statistics  given.  The  saw  mills  of  Cl:)arleston 
also  cut  enormous  quantities  of  timber  that  is  not  included  in  the 
figures  given.  Oak,  poplar,  chestnut,  hickory  and  some  walnut  are 
the  principal  woods  left  in  the  county. 

Agricultural. — The  Kanawha  valley  farms  equal  in  fertility  of 
soil  and  productiveness  the  broad  bottoms  of  the  Ohio  river,  and 
form  the  principal  part  of  the  county  that  is  farmed.  Corn,  wheat, 
oats,  tobacco  and  garden  crops  are  principally  raised.  The  hill 
lands  grow  good  grass  and  make  splendid  pasture,  but  cattle  are  not 
extensively  raised.  In  some  parts  of  the  county  tobacco  is  the 
principal  crop,  and  just  as  good  tobacco  is  grown  as  in  the  neigh- 
boring counties  where  it  forms  the  chief  crop.  Fruits  are  largely 
grown  and  are  productive.  Most  luscious  peaches  grow  in  portions 
of  the  county,  while  apples,  pears  and  grapes,  and  all  kinds  of 
small  fruits  yield  abundantly.  The  raising  of  crops  for  the  towns 
of  the  valley  and  the  miners,  who  depend  principally  on  the  scores 
for  their  garden  products,  is  an  important  branch  of  the  farming  in- 
dustry. 

Charleston,  the  capital  of  the  State,  is  a  flourishing  commercial 
city,  the  banking  and  business  center  for  all  the  mining  country  in 
the  New  and  Kanawha  river  valleys.  Its  population  was  given  in 
1890  as  6,742,  an  increase  of  60.83  per  cent  in  ten  years.  Elk  City, 
immediately  adjoining,  but  under  separate  city  government,  with 
the  growth  since  1890,  give  the  place  at  least  10,000  i)eople  now. 
The  city  has  some  20  wholesale  houses  which  supply  the  entire 
southern  end  of  the  State  with  goods,  five  banks  all  doing  a  splen- 
did business,  wood  working  and  other  factories  employing  over  a 


Lewis  County. 


173 


thousand  men,  has  paved  streets,  electric  light  and  gas,  water  works, 
good  seweraj^e,  electric  street  railway,  bridges  across  both  rivers, 
handsome  city,  county,  State  and  United  States  buildings,  and  is  a 
rapidly  growing  prosperous  city. 

LEWIS  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Lewis  is  situated  near  the  center  of 
the  State,  a  little  to  the  north  of  it.  It  is  in  the  high,  hilly  part  of 
the  State,  west  of  the  mountainous  portion,  and  is  rather  rolling 
than  rough.  In  a  few  places  the  hills  rise  to  a  considerable  height, 
but  are  nowhere  mountainous  or  broken.  Rising  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  county  and  flowing  northward  through  the  center  is  the 
West  Fork  of  the  Monongahela  river.  In  this  county  it  is  not  nav- 
igable for  vessels  of  any  kind,  but  waters  the  country  well,  its  trib- 
utaries reaching  every  section  of  the  county.  North  and  south 
through  the  county  runs  the  West  Virginia  and  Pittsburg  railroad, 
connecting  the  center  of  the  State  with  the  Baltim.ore  and  Ohio 
railroad.  From  Weston  a  branch  of  the  same  road  runs  into  Upshur 
county,  opening  another  almost  entirely  undeveloped  country. 
Lewis  is  one  of  the  older  counties  of  the  State  and  has  been  pretty 
thickly  settled.  Good  roads  connect  all  parts  of  the  county  and 
there  are  several  small  towns  throughout  the  county.  From  Wes- 
ton, the  county  seat,  the  distance  to  Parkersburg  is  107  miles,  to 
Martinsburg  227,  to  Charleston  240,  to  Wheeling  147,  to  Baltimore 
341,  to  Cincinnati  302  and  to  Chicago  614. 

C«»al, — Throughout  the  county  veins  of  valuable  coal  are  found, 
from  5  to  6  feet  in  thickness,  and  in  places  the  veins  reach  as  much 
as  l4  feet.  The  coal  belongs  to  the  Pittsburg  bed  and  having  been 
tested  is  found  to  be  valuable  coking  coal.  For  local  use  the  coal 
has  been  mined,  but  not  tor  any  other  purpose.  None  has  ever  been 
shipped  although  it  might  easily  b6  mined,  and  the  quality  is  as 
good  as  any  to  be  found  in  the  State,  and  it  is  believed  that  the 
new  railroads  recently  constructed  in  the  county  will  tend  to  de- 
velope  it. 

Gas. — Natural  gas  has  been  found  in  several  places  in  the  county 
and  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  oil  may  be  found  also  when 
properly  sought  for. 

Clays. — There  is  an  abundance  of  valuable  clay  in  the  county, 


174 


Lewis  County. 


the  ordinar}^  brick  clay,  fire  clay,  and  potter's  clay  all  being  found 
in  large  quantities.  From  these  clays  considerable  brick,  tiling, 
sewer  pipe,  etc.,  is  made  and  there  is  enough  of  the  material  in  the 
county  to  warrant  a  large  increase  of  the  business. 

Near  Weston  there  is  a  deposit  of  fine  yellow  ochre,  about  3  feet 
thick,  of  a  rich  orange  color,  which  when  burned  yields  a  pure,  rich 
red.    It  is  very  valuable  as  a  mineral  paint. 

Stone. — There  is  a  good  deal  of  limestone  in  the  county,  though 
it  is  principally  in  thin  veins.  There  is  also  a  good  yellow  sand 
stone,  though  neither  is  as  wide  spread  as  the  blue  sand  stone  that 
is  found  in  nearly  every  part  ot  the  county.  The  latter  is  a  fine 
building  stone,  hard  and  durable  and  Irom  it  is  built  the  large  hos- 
pital for  the  insane  at  Weston.  It  is  a  bluish  gray  in  color,  retains 
its  color  well  and  is  free  from  sulphur  and  iron. 

A  good  quality  of  glass  sand  is  also  found  in  the  county,  but  is 
not  in  general  use. 

Timber. — The  county  was  settled  about  the  first  of  the  present 
century  and  was  formed  into  a  county  in  1816,  and  since  then  the 
valuable  timber  has  practically  all  disappeared.  There  are  still  a 
good  many  small  tracts  that  are  kept  in  timber  to  supply  the  wants 
of  the  larmers,  and  a  few  tracts  of  timbered  land.  Possibly  half 
the  county  is  still  wooded  but  of  this  part  a  good  deal  of  the  best 
timber  has  been  taken  off".  Still  there  are  large  areas  of  fine  white 
and  chestnut  oak  and  other  hard  woods. 

'Agricultural  — Lewis  is  essentially  a  grazing  county.  Of  the 
counties  in  West  Virginia  Harrison  probably  stands  first  in  the 
production  of  cattle  and  as  a  grazing  county,  with  Lewis  second. 
The  county  is  principally  rolling  with  low  and  gently  sloping  hills 
( 11  which  blue  grass  grows  naturally  to  the  very  tops.  The  lands 
when  cleared  of  their  timber  produce  naturally  a  luxurious  growth 
of  fine  blue  grass  and  the  county  has  come' to  be  a  great  grazing 
one.  Cattle  are  grown  in  great  quantities  and  of  the  very  finest 
kind,  sheep  are  raised  in  larger  numbers  than  formerly  and  horses 
are  also  raised.  Some  of  the  finest  blooded  horses  to  -be  found  in 
the  State  are  raised  on  the  Lewis  county  stock  farms.  The  soil 
of  the  county  is  all  rich  and  productive  and  some  other 
crops  are  raised  besides  grass.  Wheat  and  corn  yieM  well,  tobacco 
is  raised  to  a  limited  extent  and  fine  fruits  are  raised.  Apples  and 
grapes  do  particularly  well. 


Lincoln  County. 


175 


LINCOLN  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Lincoln  county  lies  slightly  to  the 
east  of  the  most  western  point  in  the  State.  It  is  almost  equally 
distant  from  the  Ohio,  Kanawha  and  Big  Sandy  rivers.  In  the 
south-western  part  of  the  county  are  the  Guyandotte  mountains,  the 
only  ones  within  its  borders,  though  the  entire  county  is  rough  and 
hilly.  Through  the  southern  and  western  parts  of  the  county  flows 
the  Guyandotte  river,  navigable  for  push-boats  through  the  entire 
length  of  the  county  and  into  Logan.  The  waters  of  Mud  river,  a 
tributary  of  the  Guyandotte,  water  the  central  portion  of  the  county, 
while  for  a  short  distance  in  the  north-eastern  part  of  the  county 
flows  the  Little  Coal  river,  uniting  with  Big  Coal  to  form  the  north- 
eastern boundary  betw^een  Lincoln  and  Kanawha.  The  prospective 
railroads  up  the  Guyandotte  and  Mud  rivers  have  not  yet  been 
commenced,  but  will  undoubtedly  some  day  be  built.  At  present 
the  nearest  railroad  is  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio,  from  which  Ham- 
lin, the  county  seat,  is  distant  18  miles  over  a  good  road,  and  some 
parts  of  the  county  are  much  closer.  This  puts  Hamlin  but  36 
miles  from  Huntington,  50  from  Charleston,  251  from  Wheeling, 
419  from  Richmond,  197  from  Cincinnati,  and  502  from  Chicago,  all 
by  rail  save  18  miles. 

Coal. — Lincoln  is  underlaid  with  magnificent  coal  deposits,  which 
only  await  transportation  to  be  developed.  The  magnificent  deposits 
of  coals  found  in  Boone  and  Logan  counties,  which  are  in  the  richest 
region  in  the  State,  extend  into  Lincoln,  which  contains  a  portion 
of  what  Prof.  White,  of  the  West  Virginia  University,  terms  "one  of 
the  largest  areas  of  pure  cannel  coal  known  in  any  country  of  the 
world."  Lincoln  coals  are  similar  in  character  and  thickness  to  the 
coals  of  Boone  and  Logan,  but  the  area  of  the  thickest  veins  is  not 
so  large  in  Lincoln  as  in  some  of  the  neighboring  counties.  There 
is  coal  in  every  part  of  the  county,  but  in  the  northern  part  the 
veins  are  smaller,  being  not  much  over  three  feet  in  thickness, 
while  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county  rich  deposits  of  the  very 
finest  coal  are  found  in  abundance.  One  vein  of  coal  in  the  south- 
ern portion  of  the  county  has  a  thickness  of  11  feet.  CanneJ,  splint 
and  bituminous  coals  are  all  found  in  Lincoln  county. 

TiMHER.— Considerable  poplar  timber  has  been  cut  out  of  Lincoln 


176 


Lincoln  County. 


county  for  the  last  twenty  years,  and  all  the  walnut  there  ever  was,  ♦ 
but  theie  still  remain  magnificent  tracts  of  tens  of  thousands  of 
acres  of  timber  which  have  never  been  touched  by  the  woodman's 
axe.  Fully  one-half  the  county  is  yet  covered  with  magnificent 
oak  forests,  and  the  greater  portion  of  this  with  poplar  also.  There 
is  also  much  ash  and  beech,  some  chestnut,  a  little  pine,  and  some 
other  timber,  all  of  which  jnay  be  easily  gotten  to  market  by  means 
of  the  Guyandotte,  Coal  and  Mud  rivers  and  their  tributaries. 
Little  timber  has  ever  been  sawed  at  home,  it  being  cheaper  to  float " 
the  logs  out  and  saw  them  closer  to  market.  Even  staves  are  taken 
out  in  this  way,  not  being  sawed  or  split  till  they  have  reached  a 
railroad  point.  The  northern  part  of  the  county  has  been  cleared 
and  settled  to  a  greater  extent  than  the  southern,  where  the  greater 
part  of  the  timber  that  is  still  standing  is  to  be  found. 

Agricultural. — The  eastern  portion  of  the  county  is  a  famous 
tobacco  region.  Some  of  the  finest  tobacco  in  the  country  is  raised 
in  Lincoln  county,  and  commands  as  high  prices  as  that  grown  any- 
where in  the  United  States.  '  Heavy  hurleys  are  raised  all  over  the 
county,  but  the  fine  light  colored  leaf  is  grown  principally  in  the 
eastern  portion  and  has  an  excellent  reputation  in  the  tobacco 
markets  of  Richmond.  The  rich  lands  of  the  county,  as  soon  as  the 
timber  is  taken  off,  prove  to  be  excellent  soil  for  the  culture  of  to- 
bacco. It  is  raised  principally  by  Old  Virginia  farmers  who  know 
how.  The  soil  of  Lincoln  is  all  fertile  and  yields  good  grain  crops 
when  cultivated,  but  aside  from  the  tobacco  culture  little  farming  is 
done.  Some  corn  is  grown,  but  not  more  than  is  consumed  in  the 
county.  Grass  grows  well,  and  the  county  is  well  covered  with 
good  grass  sod.  Cattle  are  raised  to  a  considerable  extent  and  do 
well.  Some  attention  is  paid  to  sheep  raising,  and  they  too  thrive 
and  prove  profitable.  The  county  is  well  adapted  for  stock  growing 
and  fruit  culture,  though  little  fruit  is  now  to  be  found  in  the 
county. 

LOGAN  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Logan  is  one  of  the  border  counties 
of  the  State,  lying  along  the  southwestern  boundary,  adjoining  the 
State  of  Kentucky,  and  at  its  southern  corner,  touching  the  corner 
of  the  State  of  Virginia    The  Tug  Fork  of  Big  Sandy  river,  the 


Logan  County, 


177 


western  bank  of  which  forms  the  dividing  line  between  the  States 
of  West  Virginia  and  Kentucky,  follows  along  the  edge  of  Logan 
county.    This  rivQr  is  navigable  in  favorable  seasons  for  steamboats, 
which  have  at  times  come  well  up  into  Logan  county,  and  is  at  all 
times  navigable  for  push  boats.    Flowing  almost  due  north  through 
the  entire  county,  is  the  Guyandotte  river,  which  is  aJso  navigable 
for  push- boats  and  was  at  one  time  locked  and  dammed  about  half 
way  from  the  mouth  to  Logan  Court  House.   But  the  war  broke  up 
the  company  which  owned  the  dams  and  they  were  cut  out  to 
make  a  channel  for  the  logs  which  are  taken  out.    Until  the  con- 
struction of  the  railroad  in  the  last  few  months  most  of  the  mer- 
chandise used  in  Logan  county  was  taken  there  in  push  boats  up 
the  Guyandotte  river,  some  80  miles  from  the  mouth,  or  were  hauled 
in  wagons  from  the  railroad  near  Charleston,  some  55  miles.  The 
Norfolk    &    Western     railroad   has   recently     been  completed 
through  the  county,  following  closely  along  the  southern  border, 
and  this  road  will  have  a  wonderful  effect  in  developing  the  resour- 
ces of  the  county.    Logan  Court  House  is  65  miles  fro*m  Charleston, 
all  but  10  miles  of  which  is  over  country  roads,  is  12  miles  from 
the  Norfolk  &  Western,  by  way  of  which  it  is  93  miles  from  Hunt- 
ington,  515  from  Norfolk,  238  from  Cincinnati  and  543  from 
Chicago.    Most  of  the  county  is  mountainous  or  hilly,  the  valleys 
not  attaining  any  considerable  width,  but  hills  and  valleys  are 
alike  fertile  and  productive.    The  waters  of  the  Guyandotte  and 
Big  Sandy  rivers  water  well  the  county  and  afford  means  of  getting 
out  timber.    The  Guyandotte  valley  and  some  of  the  smaller  ones 
are  very  rich  in  natural  resources  and  have  been  pretty  thickly 
settled,  but  the  greater  part  of  the  county  has  been  held  in  large 
tracts  for  speculative  purposes  and  has  never  been  developed  to  any 
extent.    The  construction  of  the  railroad,  however,  has  had  a  re- 
markable efiect  on  the  value  of  lands,  those  which  might  a  few 
years  ago  have  been  bought  for  50  cents  an  acre  now  commanding 
an  average  of  about  $10  an  acre,  and  even  at  that  most  of  them  are 
cheap. 

Coal.— Every  known  kind  of  coal  except  anthracite  is  found  in 
Logan  county  and  there  is  not  a  portion  of  the  county  that  is  not 
well  supplied  with  it.  Developments  in  many  p'aces  show  about 
ten  veins  of  coal  over  2  feet  in  thickness,  and  it  is  thought  this 


178 


Lo(jAN  County. 


number  will  be  found  over  the  greater  portion  of  the  county,  the 
same  being  found  in  Boone  county.  Besides  this  enormous  amount 
of  coal  which  may  be  found  in  the  hill  sides,  the  New  River  veins 
are  supposed  to  underlie  the  entire  county,  though  no  investigations 
have  ever  been  made  below  the  surface  of  the  earth.  The  veins  so 
far  discovered  range  from  2  to  13  leet  in  thickness  and  are  piled  one 
above  the  other  to  almost  incredible  heights.  Between  the  Guyan- 
dotte  and  Big  Sandy  rivers  one  mountain  has  been  developed  and 
the  ten  veins  of  coal  from  top  to  bottom,  all  over  2  feet  in  thickness, 
aggregated  52  feet  of  coal.  Another  mountain  but  partly  developed 
shows  two  veins  of  4  feet,  one  of  5  and  one  of  7  feet.  Investiga- 
tions were  carried  no  further.  But  even  if  there  were  no  more 
coal  in  the  mountain,  which  there  probably  is,  there  are  known  to 
be  20  feet  of  good  coal  in  four  workable  veins.  One  coal  vein  is  13 
feet  thick  with  two  partings  which  aggregate  about  a  foot,  leaving 
12  feet  of  solid  coal.  In  this  vein  there  are  three  different  kinds  of 
coal  separated  by  tlie  partings — a  fine  burning,  soft  bituminous 
coal,  splint  and  peacock  coal.  Some  of  the  finest  cannel  coal  known 
is  found  in  the  region  of  which  Logan  county  is  a  part,  and  this  is 
said  to  be  the  largest  field  of  pure  cannel  known  in  the  world.  In 
Logan  cannel  coal  is  found  in  veins  as  large  as  4  feet  thick.  Almost 
anywhere  a  pick  is  struck  into  the  earth  coal  may  be  found.  Many 
of  the  streams  flow  over  beds  of  solid  coal,  from  the  tops  of  which 
the  earth  has  been  washed  away,  and  coal  may  be  dug  right  out  of 
the  bed  of  the  creeks.  In  other  places  where  the  base  of  a  moun- 
tain has  been  cut  slightly  into,  to  make  room  for  a  road,  the  coal 
crops  out,  and  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  in  Logan  county  to  drive 
along  a  road  that  is  walled  in  on  one  side  with  several  feet  of  coal, 
while  the  stream  on  the  other  side  flows  over  a  broad  bed  of  the 
same  material.  Every  family  in  the  county  may  have  its  own  coal 
bank  and  many  of  them  do.  And  yet,  with  all  this  abundance  of 
coal  on  every  hand,  not  a  bushel  has  ever  been  mined  for  market. 
There  have  been  no  means  of  reaching  a  market  with  it.  The  coal 
still  lies  where  it  has  lain  for  countless  ages,  scarce  hidden  from  the 
eyes  of  man,  and  waits  the  time  when  human  enterprise  shall 
penetrate  the  forest  fastness  and  reap  a  rich  reward  from  treasures 
buried  there. 

Timber. —  But  coal  is  by  no  means  Logan's  only  wealth.  While 


Logan  Counts. 


179 


all  or  nearly  all  the  county  is  covered  with  coa),  three  fourths  of  it 
is  also  covered  with  untouched  timber.  Magnificent  forests  of  oak, 
poplar,  ash,  lynn,  maples,  beech,  birch,  pines,  hickory  and  other 
varieties  still  cover  the  greater  part  of  the  county  in  their  primitive 
state.  For  thirty  years  timber  men  have  been  at  work,  destroying 
the  forests  and  still  in  all  this  time  not  over  a  fourth  of  the  timber 
has  been  removed.  The  rest  still  stands,  exceeding  in  value,  in 
most  cases,  the  price  at  which  the  land  on  which  it  grows  is  held. 
Some  of  the  finest  timber  in  the  State  is  found  in  Logan  county. 
The  soil  is  rich  and  strong  and  has  produced  tremendous  growths 
among  the  forest  trees.  One  poplar  tree  in  Logan  county  measures 
30  feet  in  circumference  at  the  base,  while  others  are  said  to  be  as 
large  and  many  are  found  from  7  to  8  feet  in  diameter.  All  the 
other  varieties  of  timber  grow  to  proportionate  size.  The  oaks  in 
particular  reach  prodigious  sizes.  No  county  in  the  State  is  more 
favorably  situated  for  getting  out  the  timber  than  is  Logan,  The 
Guyandotte  and  Big  Sandy  rivers  afford  giheap  and  easy  means  of 
floating  timber  to  markets  or  shipping  points,  while  their  tributary 
streams,  which  are  quite  numerous,  may  be  utilized  in  times  of 
rain  for  floating  the  logs  to  the  rivers.  Splash  dams  are  ut-ed  a  good 
deal  to  get  logs  out  of  the  smaller  streams.  As  an  estimate  of  the 
value  of  the  timber  still  standing  in  Logan  county,  three  million 
dollars  will  not  be  far  amiss.  And  like  the  coal,  this  awaits  the 
man  who  will  take  it  out  to  make  him  rich. 

Iron — Iron  ores  are  found  in  most  of  the  county,  though  the  ex- 
tent and  value  of  them  are  unknown.  No  one  has  ever  had  the 
iron  interests  of  the  county  looked  into,  and  its  possibilities  in  this 
respect  are  unknown.  As  Logan  is  but  a  continuation  of  Wayne 
county  and  in  all  respects  so  similar  to  it,  it  is  not  at  all  improb- 
able that  all  the  ores  which  are  found  in  Wayne  county  may  also  be 
discovered  in  Logan.  But  this  is  speculative.  That  there  is  some 
iron  ore  in  the  county  is  certain. 

Lead — A  little  lead  is  found  in  small  quantities  in  some  portions 
of  the  county  and  in  the  olden  time  the  pioneers  used  to  run  their 
own  bullets  out  of  native  lead.  But  whether  there  is  any  lead  of 
commercial  value  in  the  county  is  not  known. 

Oil  and  Gas — While  no  oil  has  ever  been  found  in  the  county, 
there  are  indications  which  encourage  the  people  to  hope  that  some 


180 


Logan  County. 


day  it  may  be  found.  In  Kentucky,  not  far  from  the  county  line, 
oil  has  been  lound.  Near  the  line,  recently,  on  the  Logan  side,  a 
test  well  was  put  down.  While  no  oil  was  reached  there  was  a 
tremendous  flow  of  natural  gas,  which  usually  goes  hand  in  hand 
with  oil.  All  over  the  county  natural  gas  bubbles  up  through  the 
surfMce  of  the  earth  and  it  is  thought  by  many  that  underlying  the 
vast  coal  field  of  this  and  adjoining  counties  is  a  great  sea  of  oil. 

Clav,  etc.  — An  excellent  quality  of  fire  clay  is  found  and  is  sup- 
posed to  exist  in  great  abundance.  Building  stone  is  plentiful.  In 
connection  with  the  coal  a  good  roofing  slate  is  found.  But  none 
of  these  materials  which  will  some  day  manifest  their  value,  have 
as  yet  been  more  than  found  to  exist. 

Agricultural — The  hills  of  Logan  have  principally  a  black, 
gravelly  soil,  that  is  very  fertile.  But  as  a  rule  they  are  most  too 
steep  for  cultivation.  The  valleys  are  well  tilled.  The  hills  where 
not  too  steep  are  excellent  land  for  corn,  which  yields  in  the  county 
Irom  40  to  60  bushels  ar^acre.  Other  grains  are  not  raised  much. 
The  old  Virginia  settlers  raise  very  fine  tobacco.  The  new  rich 
soil  is  just  what  it  requires  and  they  know  all  about  its  culture. 
This  is  an  excellent  cattle  county  and  especially  adapted  to  sheep. 
The  latter  do  well,  seldom  suffer  irom  disease  on  the  wide  range 
they  have  and  for  their  wool  as  much  is  paid  in  eastern  markets  as 
for  that  from  any  section  of  the  country.  In  this,  as  in  many 
other  counties,  sheep  raising  will  follow  up  the  clearing  of  the  hills 
and  will  some  day  become  one  of  the  principal  industries  of  the 
State. 

MARION  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character — In  the  northern  part  of  the  State, 
separated  by  a  single  county  from  Pennsylvania  on  the  north,  from 
Maryland  on  the  east  and  from  Ohio  on  the  west,  is  Marion  county. 
The  Tygart's  Valley  and  the  West  Fork  rivers  both  flow  into  the 
county,  uniting  near  Fairmont  to  form  the  Monongahela  river.  Fol- 
lowing the  Vallt^y  river  from  Grafton  down  to  Fairmont  is  the  main 
line  ol  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad  which  connects  Chicago  by 
way  of  Wheeling  and  West  Virginia  with  Baltimore  and  the  east. 
From  Clarksburg  down  the  West  Fork  river  to  Fairmont  runs  the 
Monongahela  River  railroad,  while  from  Fairmont  on  down  the  Mo- 


Marion  Couni  y. 


181 


nong.ahela  river  to  Morp^antown  runs  the  Fairmont,  Morgantown 
nd  Pittsburg  branch  of  the  i^.  &  0.  road,  the  intention  being  to 
extend  the  road  on  down  to  Pittsbur-*-.  Fairmont,  the  county  seat 
is  78  miles  Irom  Wheeling,  126  from  Parkersburg,  202  froni  Mar- 
tinsburg,  316  from  Baltimore,  260  from  Charleston,  321  from  Cincin- 
nati, and  545  from  Chicago.  The  county  is  high  and  rolling  or  hilly, 
with  no  mountains  and  few  steep  hills,  and  besides  possessing  val- 
uable mineral  resources  is  nearly  all  excellently  adapted  to  agricul- 
tuie.  The  county  is  in  the  older  portion  of  the  State,  is  thickly 
settled,  prosperous  and  growing. 

Coal— The  county  is  abundantly  supplied  with  splendid  coal  in 
veins  from  18  inches  to  10  feet  in  thickness.  The  splendid  Pitts- 
burg vein  of  coking  coal  underlies  the  county  throughout  its  entire 
area  and  along  the  railroads  is  larj^ely  mined  and  coked.  Indeed, 
Marion  has  become  the  center  of  the  coal  and  coke  industry  of  the 
northern  part  of  the  State  and  is  far  ahead  of  any  other  county  in 
that  part  of  the  State  in  coal  and  coke  production.  The  reports  of 
the  mine  inspectors  show  that  in  the  year  ending  June  30,  1891, 
the  coal  production  was  245,899  tons,  the  coke  52,852  tons.  For 
the  year  ending  June  30,  1892,  the  coal  production  was  904,896 
tons,  the  coke  227,291.  The  coal  is  good  and  finds  a  ready  market 
while  the  coke  sells  easily  in  competition  with  the.  coke  of  Connells- 
ville  and  other  Pennsylvania  districts.  The  excellence  and  preva- 
lence of  the  coal,  the  splendid  shipping  facilities  and  the  easy  ac- 
cess to  markets  make  the  coals  of  Marion  county  assume  a  great  im- 
portance. While  recently  the  business  has  rapidly  increased,  it 
really  has  but  just  begun  to  grow,  and  the  immense  coal  fields  of 
the  county  will  some  day  be  the  basis  of  an  industry  that  will  give 
employment  to  many  times  the  number  of  men  at  present  engaged 
in  digging  coal  or  making  coke. 
.  Oil— In  Marion  county  is  one  of  the  largest  oil  fields  in  the  State 
■  —the  Mannington  field.  Pushing  south  from  Pennsylvania  the  oil 
was  followed  into  Monongalia  county  and  thence  doAvn  through  the 
western  end  of  Marion  where  a  splendid  field  was  found.  At  the 
time  of  its  discovery  it  was  the  best  field  in  the  State  and  though 
it  has  been  partly  drained  the  flow  of  oil  continues  to  be  large  and 
the  fortunes  already  made  by  those  who  were  fortunately  situated 
in  the  right  part  of  the  county  are  still  increasing.    The  wells  are 


182 


Marion  County. 


all  good  producers,  a  single  well  when  first  opened  yielding  at  the 
rate  of  700  barrels  of  oil  a  day.  This  flow,  of  course,  diminished, 
but  the  yield  of  the  field  is  large.  Gas  is  found  in  abundance  and 
used  for  lighting  and  for  fuel. 

Clay — For  many  years  most  excellent  fire  clay  has  been  worked 
in  Marion  county.  Fire  and  furnace  brick,  sewer  pipe,  tile,  etc.,  are 
made  from  it  and  the  clay  is  valued  -highly.  The  brick  has  been 
used  in  Fairmont  for  street  paving,  as  well  as  for  other  purposes  aud 
sustains  its  reputation  well.  There  are  almost  inexhaustible  quanti- 
ties of  clay  in  the  county  and  the  growing  demand  for  products  of 
fire  clay  will  cause  its  further  development  and  build  up  the  indus- 
try in  the  county. 

Stone. — Building  stone,  both  lime  and  sand,  is  found  in  the 
county  in  abundance.  Glass  sand  is  also  found  and  worked  at 
Fairmont  in  the  manufacture  of  glass  bottles.  It  is  a  clear  white 
sand  and  makes  a  splendid  article  of  glass. 

Timber.  -  The  county  is  perhaps  a  third  covered  with  timber. 
Much  of  it  has  been  cut  both  for  commercial  use  and  to  make  room 
forjlfarming,  yet  there  is  much  remaining.  Oaks,  poplar,  chestnut, 
maple  and  hickory  are  the  most  abundant  though  other  timbers 
usually  found  in  the  forests  of  this  latitude  and  altitude  are  found. 
The  numerous  streams  and  railroads  which  pass  through  the  county 
offer  cheap  and  easy  means  of  getting  timber  out  and  several  saw 
mills  are  in  operation  in  the  county.  Staves  and  poles  and  rail- 
road ties  and  all  the  other  products  of  the  forests  are  also  taken  out. 
The  coal  and  oil  operations  in  the  county  have  afforded  a  home 
market  for  much  timber  in  addition  to  what  is  sent  away. 

AGuictrLTURAL. — Posscssiug  principally  a  limestone  soil,  rich, 
deep  and  productive,  the  county  is  an  excellent  one  for  agriculture. 
Corn,  wheat  and  other  grains  grow  well,  both  on  the  hills  and  in 
the  valleys,  and  in  the  higher  parts  buckwheat  is  raised  to  some  ex- 
tent. Blue  grass  grows  in  all  parts  of  the  county  and  grazing  is  a 
principal  feature  of  the  work  upon  the  farms.  Dairying  and  stock 
raising  ar(^  carried  on  largely  and  many  cattle  are  annually  shi})ped 
from  Marlon  county.  For  fruits  the  county  is  well  suited  and 
many  kinds  are  raised,  all  yielding  well. 

Fairmont  is  a  manufacturing  and  commercial  city,  the  banking 
and  business  center  of  the  entire  coal  and  coking  region  of  the 


Marshall  County. 


183 


county.  It  had  by  the  census  of  1S90  a  population  of  1,023  which 
has  largely  increased  since.  It  is  now  a  growing  flourishing  busi- 
ness place  of  about  3,000  people,  upon  which  a  large  territory  of 
surrounding  country  is  dependent.  Several  manufacturing  plants 
are  located  at  Fairmont,  many  public  improvements  have  recently 
been  made  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  of  the  smaller  cities 
of  the  State. 

MARSHALL  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character.-  Of  the  four  counties  comprising  the 
northern  "panhandle"  Marshall  is  the  most  southern.  On  the  east 
is  Pennsylvania,  on  the  w^est  Ohio.  Following  along  the  western 
border  the  entire  length  of  the  county  is  the  Ohio  river,  which  af- 
fords the  cheapest  transportation,  and  whose  valleys  are  always  fer- 
tile. The  Ohio  River  railroad  follows  the  Ohio  river  along  the 
western  border  of  the  county,  connecting  all  the  east  and  west  rail- 
roads that  pass  through  the  State,  while  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  rail- 
road parallels  it  about  half  the  length  of  the  county  and  then  turns 
eastward  in  its  course  toward  the  seaboard.  The  river  distance  from 
Moundsville,  the  county  seat,  to  Pittsburg  is  109  miles,  to  Cincin- 
nati 371  miles.  The  shortest  distances  by  rail  from  Moundsville 
are:  to  Wheeling  11  miles,  to  Pittsburg  82,  to  Parkersburg  83,  to 
Martinsburg  268,  to  Baltimore  382,  to  Huntington  204,  to  Charles- 
ton 218,  to  Cincinnati  278,  to  Chicago  478  miles.  The  county  is 
principally  rolling  in  character,  with  wide  bottom  lands  along  the 
Ohio  river  and  the  several  streams  that  pass  through  the  county  and 
flow  into  the  Ohio. 

Coal. — Marshall  has  no  surface  coal,  but  the  entire  county  is 
underlaid  with  two  veins  of  the  Pittsburg  coal.  The  first  is  about  4 
feet  thick  and  is  found  at  a  depth  of  from  80  to  100  feet  below  the 
surface.  The  other,  at  a  depth  of  150  feet,  is  about  6  feet  thick. 
This  is  a  good  fuel  coal  and  coke  is  sometimes  made  of  it,  but  is  not 
really  a  good  coking  coal.  It  is  considered  very  good  for  fuel  and  is 
mined  cheaply.  Two  mines  are  operated  in  the  county,  by  means 
of  shafts.  The  report  of  the  State  Mine  Inspector  for  the  first  dis- 
trict shows  that  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1891,  the  production 
of  coal  in  Marshall  county  was  118,242  tons,  and  for  the  year  end- 
ing -lune  30,  1892,  the  production  was  166,893  tons. 


184 


Marshall  County. 


Timber.— Perhaps  a  fourth  of  Marshall  county  is  still  covered 
Avith  good  timber,  though  a  great  deal  has  been  g:oing  out  constantly 
for  many  years.  What  is  left  is  principally  oak,  though  there  is 
also  a  good  deal  of  very  fine  poplar,  particularly  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  the  county.  There  is  some  walnut  left  but  not  in  large 
quantities.  The  accessibility  of  the  timber  of  Marshall  county  is 
not  to  be  overlooked.  The  hills  are  not  steep  and  the  land  is  well 
■watered  with  streams  that  may  be  used  to  lloat  timber.  The  county 
is  also  well  supplied  with  railroad  transportation,  and  is  close  to 
the  markets  of  Wheeling  and  Pittsburg.  There  is  also  in  the 
county  a  great  deal  of  hickory  timber  suitable  for  use  in  wagon  mak- 
ing and  for  other  purposes.  It  is  easy  of  access  and  is  being  used 
to  a  considerable  extent.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  tanbark  in  tlie 
county,  which  might  be  profitably  gotten  out. 

Clays. — Clays  of  several  kinds  are  found  in  this  county,  suitable 
for  making  the  ordinary  red  brick,  fire  brick,  sewer  pipe,  tiling  and 
other  materials  made  from  clays.  The  growing  favor  with  which 
brick  pavements  for  roadways  are  regarded,  and  the  abundance  of 
suitable  clay  for  their  manufacture  in  Marshall  county  seem  to  in- 
dicate that  this  will  some  day  become  a  great  brick  making  region. 

Stone. — Building  stone  of  excellent  quality  and  in  the  greatest 
quantity  is  found  throughout  the  county.  It  is  in  tremendous 
ledges  and  may  be  quarried  at  a  trifling  cost.  Limestone  is  abund- 
ant in  portions  of  the  county  and  may  be  used  for  building,  fluxing 
or  agricultural  purposes.  There  is  also  found  in  the  county  a  bank 
of  cement  rock,  from  which  a  good  quality  of  cement  may  be  made. 
Furnace  sand  for  foundry  and  rolling  mill  purposes  is  found  in 
abundance  and  is  already  shipped  to  some  extent  to  furnaces  in 
the  neighboring  cities  where  it  is  considered  excellent  for  the  pur- 
poses required. 

Oil. — Some  natural  gas  and  oil  have  been  discovered  in  this 
county,  though  they  have  never  been  found  in  large  or  profitable 
quantities.  But  the  county  is  in  such  close  proximity  to  the  pay- 
ing oil  regions  of  Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  West  Virginia  that  it  is 
probable  that  oil  will  one  day  be  found  here. 

Salt  water  has  been  found  in  great  abundance,  but  has  never  been 
utilized. 

Agrkjuj/iukal. — Marshall  is  one  of  the  best  agricultural  counties 


Marshall  County. 


185 


in  the  State.  A  large  proportion  of  the  county  is  river  bottom 
land  or  creek  bottoms,  and  very  productive,  while  no  part  of  the 
county  is  so  high  or  hilly  that  it  is  unfitted  for  farming.  Crops  of 
all  kinds  as  well  as  fruits  yield  well  and  are  raised  largely.  The 
soil  is  principally  a  rich  loam  and  the  nearness  of  the  county  to  the 
city  markets  makes  it  well  adapted  to  market  gardening.  Grass 
grows  luxuriously  and  makes  the  county  a  suitable  one  for  stock 
raising.  More  attention  has  been  given  of  late  to  the  stock  and 
much  improvement  has  been  noted  in  stock  of  all  kinds.  Sheep  are 
principally  raised,  and  like  all  the  wool  from  the  ''panhandle"  coun- 
ties, that  from  Marshall  county  sheep  commands  a  high  price  in  the 
markets.  Agricultural  pursuits  are  the  principal  sources  of  wealth 
in  Marshall  county  and  much  suitable  property  for  farming  or 
grazing  purposes  may  be  secured. 

Benwood,  with  a  population  of  2,934  is  a  manufacturing  suburb 
of  Wheeling,  which  has  sprung  up  in  the  last  ten  years.  Large 
nail  and  glass  works  and  other  factories  are  located  in  the  town, 
which  is  in  reality  a  part  of  Wheeling. 

MouNDSViLLE,  where  the  State  penitentiary  is  located,  is  a  pros- 
perous and  growing  town,  with  brick  paved  streets  and  other  evi- 
dences of  enterprise.  It  is  becoming  a  manufacturing  town.  The 
population  in  1890  was  2,688,  an  increase  of  51.52  per  cent,  in  ten 
years. 

MASON  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character.— Mason  is  one  of  the  Ohio  valley  coun- 
ties, lying  along  the  western  border  of  the  State,  directly  west  of 
the  center.  The  Ohio  river,  which  marks  the  western  boundary  of 
the  county,  bends  in  such  a  way  that  about  a  fourth  of  the  county 
is  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  it.  In  a  northwesterly  direction, 
dividing  the  county  almost  equall}^  flows  the  Great  Kanawha 
river,  pouring  its  waters  into  those  of  the  Ohio  at  Point  Pleas- 
ant. With  a  river  frontage  of  56  miles  on  the  Ohio  and  18  miles 
on  either  side  of  the  Kanawha,  with  an  average  river  bottom 
width  of  a  mile,  it  is  seen  that  about  a  fourth  of  the  county  is  river 
bottom,  and  that  consequently  this  is  an  exceedingly  fine  agricul- 
tural county.  The  greater  portion  of  the  county  is  not  rough, 
though  there  are  some  high  lands.    The  latter  are  in  a  measure 


186 


Mason  CouNTy. 


level,  forming  what  are  known  locally  as  "the  flats."  But  some 
parts  of  the  county  are  quite  rough  and  hilly.  Situated,  as  it  is, 
upon  two  navigable  rivers,  the  county  is  afforded  the  advantage  of 
the  che£.pest  transportation  in  the  world  in  three  directions.  The 
rivers  are  seldom  so  low  that  no  boats  can  run  and  for  the  greater 
part  of  every  year  both  are  navigable  for  the  larger  steamers.  Along 
the  shore  of  the  Ohio  river  runs  the  Ohio  River  railroad  the  entire 
length  of  the  county,  while  along  the  north  bank  of  the  Kanawha 
passes  the  Kanawha  and  Michigan  railroad,  connecting  the  capitals 
of  Ohio  and  West  Virginia.  From  Point  Pleasant,  the  county  seat, 
to  Wheeling  is  172  miles,  to  Huntington  43,  to  Charleston  56,  to 
Cincinnati  204,  to  Richmond  425,  and  to  Chicago  497  miles.  The 
distance  by  river  to  Pittsburg  is  277  miles,  to  Cincinnati  203,  to 
Charleston  60: 

Coal. — The  entire  county  is  underlaid  with  coal.  The  Pittsburg 
seam,  which  in  the  neighboring  counties  is  below  the  ground,  here 
appears  above  the  earth  and  is  mined  at  nine  places  in  this  county. 
There  are  two  veins  of  3  and  6  feet  respectively.  South  of  the  Ka- 
nawha river  the  coal  is  not  found,  but  on  the  north  of  the  river 
these  veins  are  found.  The  coal  is  that  excellent  kind  always  seen 
in  the  Pittsburg  seam,  which  is  good  fuel,  gas  and  coking  coal,  all  in 
one.  The  reports  pf  the  State  Mine  Inspector  for  the  second  dis- 
trict, show  that  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1891,  the  coal  output 
of  Mason  county  was  116,598  tons,  while  for  the  year  ending  June 
30,  1892,nt  was  123,323  ton?.  The  number  of  employes  about  the 
mines  increased  from  264  in  1891  to  305  in  1892.  The  coal  from 
Mason  county  is  used  in  all  the  towns  near  the  mines  and  is  in  great 
demand  in  other  places.  A  great  deal  is  shipped,  principally  by 
rail. 

Salt. — For  many  years  salt  has  been  made  in  Mason  county. 
Many  of  the  furnaces  that  were  at  one  time  operated  have  gone  to 
decay,  and  their  ruins  may  be  seen  in  passing  through  on  the  train. 
But  there  are  five  salt  furnaces  now  in  operation,  making  an  aver- 
age of  about  720  barrels  of  salt  a  day,  each  containing  7  bushels— in 
other  words,  about  5,000  bushels  a  day  are  produced  in  Mason  county. 
The  brine  is  found  at  a  depth  of  about  1,000  or  1,200  feet  and  is 
pumped  into  the  vats  in  the  furnaces,  where  it  is  boiled  and  the 
water  evaporated,  leaving  the  crystallized  salt  in  the  vats.  The  salt 


Mason  County. 


187 


is  made  cheaply  and  the  cheap  Ohio  river  transportation  enables  the 
makers  to  compete  with  all  other  salt  and  still  make  a  reasonable 
profit.  West  Virginia  salt  has  always  had  an  excellent  reputation, 
and  still  maintains  it.  Salt  may  be  found  at  almost  any  point  along 
the  Ohio  river  in  Mason  county. 

Stone  and  Clay. — A  handsome  grey  sandstone,  suitable  for  build- 
ing and  paving  purposes,  is  found  in  great  abundance.  It  is  val- 
uable for  masonry  of  all  kinds  and  many  quarries  are  operated  in 
the  county.  Bridge  piers  in  the  Ohio  and  Kanawha  rivers  are  made 
from  this  stone  and  do  not  seem  to  be  affected  by  the  action  of  the 
water. 

An  excellent  article  of  fire  clay  is  found  in  considerable  quanti- 
ties at  and  near  Mason  City,  a  town  in  Mason  county,  on  the  Ohio 
river,  where  cheap  transportation  would  be  afforded  should  the  clay 
be  worked. 

Timber. — All  that  part  of  the  timber  which  was  most  easily  ac- 
cessible has  beeii  taken  out  and  the  land  converted  into  farms.  And 
yet  a  fourth  of  the  county  is  still  covered  with  timber.  The  greater 
part  of  the  timber  is  oak  and  poplar,  though  there  is  some  very  fine 
walnut  that  has  been  preserved  from  the  destruction  that  is 
going  on  among  most  of  the  walnut  timber  of  the  State  There  is 
also  considerable  hickory  timber  in  the  county.  There  are  numer- 
ous streams  in  the  county,  emptying  into  the  two  rivers,  on  which 
timber  may  be  taken  to  market  with  little  difficulty.  There  are 
several  saw  and  stave  mills  and  one  large  furniture  factory  that  are 
all  working  native  timber.  Railroad  ties  are  gotten  out  in  consid- 
erable quantities.  Cheap  fuel  and  cheap  raw  material  offer  induce- 
ments to  wood  working  establishments  of  all  kinds. 

Agricultural. — From  the  days  when  the  Indians  lived  in  the 
valleys  which  meet  in  Mason,  and  fought  with  the  whites  for  the 
possession  of  the  soil,  many  evidences  of  which  still  remain,  the 
lands  of  this  county  have  been  farmed.  And  the  broad  river  bot- 
toms are  most  inviting  still.  Wheat  yields  from  25  to  30  bushels 
an  acre,  and  is  the  principal  crop  in  the  valleys.  Corn  is  also  a 
staple  and  the  yield  is  large.  Some  are  on  record  of  from  100  to 
125  bushels  an  acre.  Blue  grass  is  indigenous  to  the  soil  and  Mason 
is  one  of  the  i)rincipal  grazing  counties  of  the  State.  Blooded 
horses,  cattle  and  sheep  are  raised  and  some  very  fine  animals  are 


188 


Mercer  County. 


bred.  Race  horses  are  numerous  and  some  world's  records  are  held 
by  Mason  county  horses.  Cattle  are  bred,  both  for  milk  and  beef. 
Very  fine  beef  cattle  are  raised  and  large  numbers  of  them  are 
shipped.  Sheep  are  receiving  special  attention  and  many  more  are 
now  raised  than  have  been  heretofore.  The  blue  grass  grows  beau- 
tifully, and  some  magnificent  pasturage  is  afforded,  unexcelled  by 
that  in  any  part  of  the  country.  All  kinds  of  farming  prove  profit- 
able and  very  few  of  the  farmers  are  not  prosperous.  The  county 
is  a  good  one  for  fruit,  and  a  good  deal  of  it  is  grown.  Quite  a  rep- 
utation is  being  secured  by  Mason  as  a  melon  raising  county  Last 
year  1,400  acres  in  this  county  were  planted  in  melons,  and  one 
man  shipped  20,000  crates  of  "nutmeg"-  muskmelons,  the  kind  so 
much  used  for  pickling. 

MERCER  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Next  to  McDowell  the  southernmost 
county  in  the  State  and  slightly  to  the  east  of  it  is  Mercer  county. 
The  East  River  mountains  separate  the  county  from  the  State  ot  Vir- 
ginia, while  the  Flat  Top  and  other  mountains  are  within  the  lim- 
its of  the  county.  New  river  touches  the  eastern  corner  of  the 
county  in  its  northward  course  and  through  the  western  part  of  the 
county  flows  the  Bluestone,  a  tributary  of  the  New  river.  Though 
high,  the  county  is  not  very  mountainous,  the  principal  part  being 
a  high  rolling  plateau,  with  some  mountains,  but  not  enough  to  cut 
the  county  up  much.  It  is  not  as  rough  and  broken  as  the  adjoin- 
ing counties  and  contains  some  good  farming  country.  The  eleva- 
tion of  the  county  gives  it  an  excellent  atmosphere  and  healthful 
climate.  Along  the  entire  southern  border  of  the  county  runs  the 
Norfolk  &  Western  railroad,  several  short  branches  of  which  pen- 
etrate the  county  in  various  directions  for  the  opening  of  coalmines. 
Another  railroad  down  the  New  river  to  Hinton,  connecting  the 
Norfolk  &  Western  and  theChesapeake  &  Ohio  railroads,  is  projected 
but  has  not  yet  been  begun.  At  present  the  Norfolk  &  Western 
railroad  is  the  only  means  of  transportation  afforded  the  people  of 
the  county,  the  distance  by  way  of  which  from  Bluefield,  is  365 
miles  to  Norfolk,  oli-l  to  Cincinnati,  219  to  Huntington,  269  to 
Charleston,  434  to  Wheeling  and  524  to  Chicago.  Princeton,  the 
county  seat,  is  off  the  railroad  about  10  miles  from  Bluefield. 


Mercer  County. 


189 


Coal. — Mercer  is  partially  in  the  Flat  Top  coal  field.  West  of 
the  Bluestone  river  over  a  territory  about  3  by  14  mi  es  the  coal  is 
found.  Its  thickness  in  Mercer  county  is  not  as  great  as  in  the  ad- 
joining county  of  McDowell,  being  but  about  7  feet  on  the  average, 
while  in  McDowell  it  averages  about  10  feet.  There  is  but  one  vein 
in  Mercer  county,  but  it  contains  some  of  the  finest  coal  in  the 
country.  The  field  is  pretty  well  opened  up  but  there  is  still  an 
abundance  of  coal  untouched  in  the  county.  As  in  McDowell,  the 
coal  lands  are  held  principally  by  a  i'ew  large  corporations  which 
lease  to  operators  on  favorable  terms.  The  coal  is  of  the  same  vein, 
and  exactly  the  same  in  character  as  that  found  in  McDowell 
county.  The  reports  of  the  State  Mine  Inspectors  show  that  for  the 
year  ending  June  30,  1891,  there  were  13  coal  mines  and  714  coke 
ovens  in  Mercer  county,  employing  2,104  men,  producing  1,210,723 
tons  of  coal  and  254,780  tons  of  coke.  For  the  year  ending  June 
30,  1892,  the  number  of  coal  mines  was  17,  coke  ovens  734  with  12 
under  construction,  number  of  employes  1,962,  coal  production 
1,175,141  torn?,  coke  production  88,297  tons. 

Iron. — The  county  is  one  of  those  eastern  border  counties  of  the 
State  all  of  which  contain  more  or  less  of  iron  ores,  and  in  Mercer 
are  found  large  deposits  of  brown  hematite  ore.  No  developments 
have  ever  been  made  of  this  ore  but  its  quality  is  known  to  be 
good  and  the  mountain  ranges  along  the  eastern  border  are  filled 
with  it.  Being  in  the  iron  region  of  the  two  Virginias,  with  plenty 
of  good  limestone  at  hand  and  in  ths  heart  of  the  finest  coking  coal 
field,  Mercer  county  will  some  day  probably  become  a  large  iron 
producing  county.  While  not  existing  in  as  large  quantities  as  in 
some  of  the  adjoining  counties,  there  is  still  a  large  amount  of  it  and 
in  paying  quantities  in  Mercer  county. 

Marble  and  Stone- The  county  contains  an  abundance  of  lime- 
stone, suitable  for  building  and  agricultural  purposes  and  for  flux- 
ing. It  is  in  large  quantities,  easy  of  access  and  easily  quarried. 
There  is  in  the  mountains  alon^  the  border  of  the  county  a  fine 
variegated  marble  which  has  not  been  developed,  but  specimens 
of  which  show  it  to  be  a  beautiful  marble  and  of  excellent  quality. 
There  is  also  a  good  millstone  grit  in  a  portion  of  the  mountains 
of  the  county. 

Clays— Fire  and  potter's  clays  are  found  in  the  county  in  large 


190 


Mercer  County. 


deposits  and  the  potter's  clay  has  been  worked,  all  kinds  of  pottery 
being  made  in  the  county.  The  clays  are  also  useful  in  making 
brick  for  the  construction  of  coke  ovens,  a  great  many  of  which  are 
required,  and  for  general  building  purposes.  There  is  great  de- 
mand for  brick  in  the  county  which  is  growing  up  very  fast  and  re- 
quires a  large  amount  of  building  material. 

Timber — A  good  deal  of  the  timber  has  been  removed  from  the 
county,  but  perhaps  a  half  of  it  is  still  standing.  The  timber  is 
principally  the  hard  woods,  with  some  poplar  and  a  little  pine  in 
the  higher  parts  of  the  county.  Mercer  never  was  a  specially  fine 
timber  county  and  does  not  now  rank  well  up  among  the  best  tim- 
ber counties  of  the  State,  but,  for  all  that,  there  is  still  some  very 
good  timber  in  the  county.  Much  of  it  is  being  used  at  home  and 
some  shipped  over  the  Norfolk  &  Western,  though  the  principal 
item  transported  over  that  road  is  Coal  or  its  product,  coke. 

Agricul'iure — The  county  is  well  adapted  to  some  kinds  of  agri- 
culture. Corn  grows  very  well  and  tobacco  on  the  new,  high 
ground,  produces  excellent  crops.  The  county,  though,  is  especially 
adapted  to  grazing.  Grass  grows  luxuriantly  over  all  the  land, 
most  of  which  is  high  limestone  land,  and  makes  excellent  pastur- 
age. Cattle  and  sheep  do  well,  though  few  are  raised  as  yet,  most 
of  the  country  being  given  up  to  mining.  Fruits  do  well  but  are  not 
much  cultivated. 

Bluefield  is  a  town  of  almost  magic  growth,  being  but  a  few 
years  old  and  claiming  now  5,000  people.  It  is  dependent  on  the 
coal  and  coke  industries  of  Mercer  and  McDowell  counties.  It  is 
an  enterprising  place  and  growing  rapidly. 

MINERAL  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Mineral  county  is  in  the  north-eastern 
part  of  the  State,  the  second  county  west  of  the  eastern  "pan- 
handle." It  is  one  of  the  border  counties,  being  bounded  on  the 
west,  north  and  for  a  short  distance  on  the  east  by  the  State  of 
Maryland.  Forming  the  boundary  of  at  least  one  half  the  county 
is  the  Potomac  river,  the  dividing  line  between  the  two  States.  Fol- 
lowing this  river,  sometimes  on  one  bank,  sometimes  on  the  other, 
are  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  and  the  West  Virginia  Central  &  Pitts- 
burg railroads,  which  have  parallel  lines  for  half  the  length  of  the 


Mineral  County. 


191 


county.  Leaving  the  W.  Va.  C.  &  P.  at  Cumberland,  Md.,  the  B. 
&  0.  continues  eastward,  while  from  Piedmont,  where  thf^y  again 
separate,  the  W.  Va  C.  &  P.  extends  southward  to  the  interior  of 
Randolph  county.  The  Cumberland  &  Pennsylvania  railroad  runs 
from  Piedmont  through  Maryland  to  Cumberland,  touching 
Mineral  county  at  each  end.  From  Cumberland  eastward,  on  the 
Maryland  shore,  runs  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  canal.  From  Keyser, 
the  county  seat,  it  is  102  miles  to  Martinsburg,  202  to  Baltimore 
183  to  Parkersburg,  179  to  Wheeling,  and  646  to  Chicago.  Through 
the  count}^  run  several  parallel  mountain  ranges,  at  the  base  of  each 
of  which  is  a  broad  valley.  This  alternation  of  mountains  and 
broad  valleys  makes  up  the  entire  county.  The  mountains  are 
not  the  "hog-back"  ridges,  such  as  are  found  in  some  parts  of  the 
State,  too  steep  and  sharp  to  farm,  but  are  flat  on  top  and  most  of 
the  county  is  thus  level  and  suitable  for  farming.  Through  the 
county  flow  several  streams,  watering  the  county  well  and  aflbrd- 
ing  means  for  floating  out  logs. 

Coal. — Only  in  the  extreme  western  part  of  Mineral  county  is 
coal  found,  but  there  are  in  that  part  of  the  county  no  less  than  five 
veins  of  very  fine  coal,  aggregating  over  30  feet.  One  of  these  is 
the  celebrated  "14  foot  vein."  One  is  7  feet,  one  6,  one  4  and  one 
from  1-^  to  3  feet  thick.  The  coals  are  bituminous  and  ^emi-bitu- 
minous,  the  latter  including  the  "peacock"  coal.  The  14  foot  vein  is 
the  Pittsburg  vein,  and  is  very  valuable  for  steam  and  smithing  pur- 
poses. Coke  has  not  been  made  yet  in  this  county,  though  the  coal 
is  suitable  for  coking.  The  "big  vein,"  which  is  the  only  one  work- 
ed in  this  county,  vaiies  a  little  in  thickness,  running  up  in  places 
to  16  feet  and  down  to  13  in  others,  but  14  feet  is  the 
average  thickness.  This  is  solid  coal,  too,  without  any  slate  or  part- 
ing in  the  vein.  East  of  Piedmont  no  coal  is  found.  The  reports 
of  the  State  Mine  Inspector  show  that  for  the  year  ending  June  30, 
1891,  there  were  produced  from  the  eight  mines  operated  in  Miner- 
al county  623,067  tons  of  coal.  In  each  of  these  mines  the  vein  is 
14  feet  thick  except  in  one  where  it  is  but  13.  The  number  of 
miners  and  employes  was  666.  For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1892, 
the  number  of  employes  was  608,  the  number  of  mines  worked  5, 
and  the  output  473,862  tons  of  coal. 

Iron. — In  Abram's  Ridge,  just  east  of  the  New  Creek  mountains, 


192 


Mineral  County. 


which  extend  from  north  to  south  through  the  centre  of  the  county, 
iron  ore  is  found  in  great  quantities.  The  deposit  of  ore  is  said  to  be 
from  60  to  70  feet  thick,  but  has  never  been  developed.  "Billions  of 
tons"  is  the  expression  used  to  denote  the  quantity  of  the  iron  ore 
by  one  who  knows  more  about  it  than  any  other  person,  and  its 
extent  is  over  the  entire  length  of  the  mountains  in  the  county. 
The  ore  is  not  so  rich  as  that  found  in  some  of  the  adjacent  coun- 
ties, but  is  in  large  quantities  and  of  paying  quality.  It  is  a  brown 
hematite  ore,  containing  from  30  to  40  per  cent,  metallic  iron. 
This  ore  is  easily  accessible  and  in  close  proximity  to  the 
splendid  coals  and  limestones  to  be  found  within  the  bound- 
aries of  the  same  county  and  within  a  few  miles  of  the  iron  ores 
It  would  seem  to  offer  an  inviting  field  to  the  iron  producer  and 
capitalist. 

Stone. — A  portion  of  the  county  is  of  limestone  formation  and 
a  portion  sandstone.  Of  both  kinds  there  is  an  abundance  of  good 
building  stone,which  can  be  quarried  cheaply.  Some  of  the  limestone 
is  very  pure  and  an  exceedingly  fine  quality  of  lime  is  burned.  The 
lime  from  West  Virginia  limestone  stands  high  in  the  markets  and 
more  might  be  profitably  made  in  Mineral  county. 

Clay. — Fire  clay  is  found  in  great  quantities  in  many  parts  of 
the  county  and  brick  are  made  to  a  limited  extent.  Clay  suitable 
for  the  manufacture  of  fire  brick  and  tile  is  found  in  abundance  and 
some  potter's  clay,  though  the  latter  has  never  been  developed. 

Timber. —  Good  timber,  principally  oak,  poplar,  chestnut,  ash, 
lynn  and  similar  woods,  covers  still  more  than  half  the  county.  On 
lands  that  have  been  cleared  there  still  remains  sufficient  timber  for 
farming  and  fencing  purposes,  but  the  timber  that  is  valuable  for 
sawing  is  in  large  tracts  on  the  mountains,  principally  in  the 
western  part  of  the  county.  Until  recently  the  south-western  part 
of  the  county  has  been  inaccessible  and  little  of  the  timber  had  ever 
been  taken  out  until  the  construction  of  the  W.  Va.  C.  &  P.  rail- 
road along  the  border  of  the  county  opened  the  territory  along  the 
upper  Potomac  and  afforded  the  means  of  transporting  the  timber. 
Since  that  time  large  forces  of  men  have  been  at  work  and  the  tim- 
ber is  being  rapidly  removed.  Still  there  is  a  great  deal  left  of  ex- 
cellent quality. 

Agricultural. — The  county  is  similar  in  many  respects  to  all  of 


Mineral  County.  293 

the  counties  of  the  South  Branch  valley,  and  the  soil  is  just  as  fer- 
tile. The  long  parallel  valleys  between  the  mountain  'ranges  are 
broad  and  contain  as  fine  farming  lands  as  can  be  found  in  any  part 
of  the  State.  The  soil  is  principally  a  sandy  loam  and  reaches  an 
average  depth  of  many  feet.  That  on  the  hills  is  not  so  deep,  but  is 
very  fertile.  Grains  of  all  kinds  in  the  bottom  lands  and  high  plateaus 
grow  well  and  yield  about  as  well  as  in  any  county  in  the  State. 
Part  of  the  county  is  limestone  in  character  and  blue  grass  grows 
and  makes  an  excellent  sod.  Cattle  and  sheep  are  both  raised  and 
with  considerable  profit.  The  county  is  especially  adapted  to  grains, 
cattle  and  sheep  raising  and  fruit  culture. 

Keyser,  an  important  railroad  town,  has  shops  and  yards  of  the 
B.  &  0.,  and  is  reached  also  by  the  W.  Va.  C.  &  P.  It  is  a  beauti- 
ful town  and  does  considerable  business  as  the  center  of  an  agricul- 
tural region.  Its  population  in  1890  was  2,165,  an  increase  of  41  36 
per  cent  over  1880. 

Piedmont  is  a  thriving  town  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac.  It 
has  railroad  shops  and  yards,  large  pulp  and  paper  mills  and  other 
factories  and  important  commercial  interests. 

MONONGALIA  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. -Along  the  northern  border  of  the 
State,  separated  from  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  by  only  an  imagi- 
nary line,  and  about  as  far  west  of  the  Maryland  line  as  it  is  east  of 
the  Ohio,  IS  the  county  of  Monongalia.  The  county  like  all  those 
in  this  section  of  the  State,  is  rolling  and  hilly  and  only  in  the  ex- 
treme east  of  the  county  do  the  hills  rise  into  mountains,  the  Laurel 
ridge  reaching  a  considerable  height  there.  Through  the  eastern  part 
of  the  county  the  Monongahela  river  flows  northward,  and  east  of 
that  IS  the  Cheat  river,  also  flowing  northward  and  uniting  its 
waters  with  those  of  the  Monongahela  just  below  the  Pennsylvania 
line.  The  Cheat  is  not  navigable  at  any  part,  but  the  Monon- 
gahela, improved  with  several  dams,  affords  slack  water  navi- 
gation as  far  above  Pittsburg  as  Morgantown,  the  county  seat  of 
Monongalia  county.  A  branch  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  ex- 
tends  from  Fairmont  down  the  east  bank  of  the  Monongahela  river  to 
Morgantown,  is  being  extended  into  Pennsylvania  where  a  connec- 
tion will  be  made  with  the  B.  &  0.  system  in  that  State,  and  an- 


194 


Monongalia  County. 


other  road  is  under  construction  along  the  west  bank  of  the  same 
river,  which  will  also  give  connection  with  roads  in  Pennsylvania. 
Morgantown,  the  county  seat,  is  104  miles  from  Wheeling,  152  from 
Parkersburg,  228  from  Martinsburg,  263  from  Charleston,  347  from 
Cincinnati  and  571  from  Chicago. 

Coal. — Six  veins  of  coal,  varying  from  four  to  eleven  feet,  are 
found  in  Monongalia  county,  in  some  places  one  above  the  other, 
so  that  in  parts  of  the  county  there  are  from  20  to  30  feet  of  mer- 
chantable coal,  all  of  which  can  be  mined  without  shafting.  Two 
measures  cover  the  county — the  Lower  and  the  Upper  coal  meas- 
ures. In  the  former  are  two  veins  of  excellent  coking  coal,  aver- 
aging about  5  or  6  feet  each.  In  the  other  are  four  veins,  averaging 
from  4  to  9  feet  each  One  of  these  is  the  great  Pittsburg  vein,  one 
of  the  most  important  veins  in  the  State,  and  as  good  a  coking  coal 
as  can  be  found.  The  Monongalia  coals  stand  high  in  the  market, 
make  excellent  coke,  are  free  from  ash,  sulphur  and  slate  partings. 
Reports  of  the  State  Mine  Inspectors  show  that  for  the  year  ending 
June  30,  1891,  there  was  but  one  mine  reported  in  the  county,  and 

10  coke  ovens,  the  production  being  46,100  tons  of  coal  and  4,900 
tons  of  coke.  For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1892,  there  were  two 
mines  reported^  and  57  coke  ovens  in  blast.  The  production  was 
70,062  tons  of  coal  and  13,517  tons  of  coke.  The  completion  of  the 
railroad  recently  finished  and  the  one  now  projected  will  give  an 
impetus  to  the  development  of  the  mining  industry,  and  a  great 
mining  region  willdoubtless.be  made  of  the  Monongahela  valley. 

Iron. — In  years  past,  before  the  completion  of  railroads  into 
richer  territory,  there  were  as  many  as  half  a  dozen  iron  furnaces  in 
Monongalia  county,  but  today  none  of  them  are  operated,  and  the 
ores  still  remain  stored  away  in  the  hills  of  the  county.  As  many 
as  nine  seams  of  ore  have  been  reported,  ranging  in  thickness  from 
18  to  30  inches.  The  ores  are  carbonates  of  iron  containing  from 
27  to  49  per  cent  metallic  iron.  The  ores  are  found  principally  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  county. 

Oil. — Monongalia  county  was  one  of  the  first  in  which  the  recent 

011  deyelopments  were  made,  and  since  the  days  ot  the  shallow  wells 
in  the  Little  Kanawha  valley,  was  among  the  first  to  produce  oil. 
There  have  been  and  still  are  good  producing  wells  in  this  county. 
The  western  part  of  the  county  is  where  the  oil  is  found  and  there 


Monongalia  County.  295 

are  numerous  wells  there.  Natural  gas  is  found  in  profusion  and  is 
used  for  heating  and  lighting  purposes  at  Morgantown  and  other 
places  in  the  county. 

SiONE.— A  good  building  limestone  is  fouad  in  the  county  and 
there  are  blue  and  gray  sandstones  throughout  the  county  which 
are  valuable  for  building  purposes.  They  are  pretty,  hard  and 
durable  stones,  which  are  valuable  for  building  purposes.  There  is 
found  a  good  glass  sand  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  which 
has  been  used  for  making  glass.  ' 

Clays.— Several  kinds  of  clays  are  found  in  the  county,  suitable 
for  the  manufacture  of  paving  and  fire  brick,  sewer  pipe,  tiling,  terra 
cotta  work,  etc.  In  various  parts  of  the  county  these  clays  are  to 
be  found  and  in  some  places  they  are  worked.  Most  ot  them  are 
on  the  east  side  of  the  river  where  they  could  be  worked  to  Id- 
vantage,  and  are  near  the  railroad  where  shipping  facilities  would 
be  good. 

TiMBER.-Fully  a  third  of  the  county  is  still  in  timber.  A  great 
deal  of  the  timber  of  the  county  has  already  gone  down  the  Monon- 
gahela  and  much  of  the  better  land  for  farming  has  been  cleared 
but  there  is  still  standing  in  the  county  a  great  deal  of  fine  timber' 
consisting  of  the  oaks  and  other  hard  woods,  some  poplar,  but  prin- 
cipally white  oak,  which  is  very  fine.  The  eastern  part  of  the 
county  is  almost  untouched,  much  of  the  original  forest  remaining 
on  the  mountains.  The  facilities  for  getting  out  timber  and  the 
means  of  getting  it  to  market  would  seem  to  offer  inducements  to 
persons  in  that  line  of  business. 

AoRicuLTUKAL.-Monongalia  is  a  splendid  agricultural  county 
The  surface  is  but  slightly  broken,  the  only  mountains  in  the 
county  being  m  the  eastern  portion  and  the  rest  of  the  county  being 
undulating  or  hilly,  fertile  and  free  from  rocks.  Grains,  including 
buckwheat,  do  well  in  the  county  and  a  good  deal  of  them  is  raised 
West  of  the  river  the  best  land  in  the  county  is  to  be  found  and 
most  oi  this  possesses  a  rich  and  productive  soil.  Grass  grows  spon- 
taneously in  nearly  every  part  of  the  county.  The  soil  is  for  the 
most  part  a  blue  grass  one  and  well  watered,  producing  fine  crops 
of  grass.  Cattle  raising  and  the  raising  of  all  kinds  of  stock  is  there- 
fore much  engaged  in  and  proves  a  profitable  business.  Fruits  of 
all  , kinds  grow  well  in  fhe  county. 


196 


Monroe  County. 


MONROE  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character.— Monroe  is  one  of  the  southern  bor- 
der counties  of  the  State,  lying  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  most  south- 
ern portion,  and  directly  south  of  the  center.    To  the  south  and 
east  is  the  State  of  Virginia,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  Peters 
and  Potts  mountains,  portions  of  the  main  Alleghany  range.  The 
Greenbrier  river  flows  around  the  northern  portion  of  the  county, 
forming  its  boundary  for  a  short  distance,  while  the  New  river 
which  comes  froai  the  south  and  unites  with  the  Greenbrier  m  the 
adjoining  county,  barely  touches  the  southwestern  corner  of  Mon- 
roe.   The  Avaters  which  flow  into  these  rivers  are  well  distributed 
through  the  county,  which  is  thus  well  watered.    In  the  eastern 
part,  just  west  of  the  Potts  mountain,  is  Potts  creek,  which  flows 
northward  and  empties  into  Jackson's  river  at  Covington,  Va.  The 
southern  portion  of  the  county  is  but  a  very  short  distance  from 
the  Norfolk  &  Western  railroad,  while  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  rail- 
road passes  throu^'h  the  northwestern  corner  of  it.    Union,  the 
county  seat,  is  12  miles  off  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  railroad,  by  way 
of  which  it  is  137  miles  from  Charleston,  256  from  Richmond,  402 
from  Wheeling,  348  from  Cincinnati  and  653  from  Chicago.  The 
county  is  mostly  mountainous,  and  all  high.    A  large  part  of  it  is 
rolling  table  land,  interspersed  with  mountains,  those  along  the 
eastern  border  being  quite  high — from  3,000  to  3,600  feet.    The  cli- 
mate is  delightful  and  healthful,  and  the  county  is  much  sought  in 
the  summer  by  persons  in  search  of  health.    Monroe  is  one  of  the 
three  counties  in  the  State  in  which  coal  is  not  found.    A  kind  of 
shale,  resembling  coal  has  bcf^n  found,  and  some  people  have  called 
it  coal,  but  it  is  not.    When  placed  with  other  fuel  in  a  fire  it  will 
get  red  hot  and  emit  a  powerful  heat,  but  does  not  burn  and  re- 
quires other  fuel  to  make  it  hot.    Even  this  is  found  in  small  quan- 
tities only. 

Iron. — The  mountains  which  mark  the  eastern  boundary  of  the 
county  contain  enormous  deposits  of  iron  ores,  and  form  a  part  of 
what  is  probably  the  richest  iron  field  in  the  Virginias  Through 
the  entire  eastern  extent  of  the  county  continuous  beds  of  ore  are 
found  both  in  Oriskany  and  Clinton  formations.  The  ore  is  brown 
hematite,  containing  from  4G  to  58  percent,  of  metallic  iron,  avcrag- 


Mom  ROE  County. 


197 


ing  about 52  percent.    It  is  all  above  water  level  and  easily  mined 
by  simple  open  •  cut  work.    The  Oriskany  bed,  which  covers  the 
eastern  part  of  this  county  and  extends  on  down  the  valley  into 
Virginia,  where  it  is  mined  and  used  in  numerous  furnaces,  is  found 
to  be  in  various  places  from  5  to  15  feet  thick,  oftener'  the  latter. 
It  is  a  neutral ^ore,  out  of  which  a  high  grade  of  iron  can  be  made 
without  a  mixture  of  ores.    Above  the  Oriskany  beds  is  found 
the  Clinton  ore.    This,  in  extent,  is  equal  to  the  Oriskany,  but  not 
quite  so  thick,  ranging  from  8  to  10  feet.    Judges  Holt  and  Snyder, 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Appeals  of  West  Virginia,  in  a  paper  on 
the  iron  ores  of  this  State  and  Virginia,  reach  the  conclusion  that: 
''It  would  be  within  the  just  limits  of  the  facts  heretofore  given  to 
estimate  that  in  the  Potts'  valley,  along  the  Potts'  and  Peters' 
mountains,  their  foot-hills  and  ridges,  there  are  one  hundred  miles 
of  outcrop  of  brown  Oriskany  ore  (Rogers  VII),  to  say  nothing  of 
the  large  quantity  of  Clinton  ore  (Rogers  V),  of  an  average  thick- 
ness of  ten  feet,  that  can  be  stripped  and  mined  six  hundred  feet 
above  water  level,  which,  allowing  two  and  one-fourth  tons  to  the 
cubic  5-ard  of  ore,  would  yield  233,000,000  tons  of  ore,  and  taking 
three  hundred  days  as  a  year,  this  would  run  one  100-ton  furnace 
4,000  years  or  forty  100-ton  furnaces  for  one  hundred  years."  There 
was,  some  years  ago,  a  small  furnace  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county,  where  an  attempt  was  made  to  make  pig  iron.    The  force 
of  men  went  to  sleep  on  the  first  attempt,  the  big  cupola  burst  and 
no  further  effort  w^as  made  to  operate  it.    It  has  recently  been  pur- 
chased by  eastern  men  who  propose  to  operate  it  as  soon  as  railroad 
communication  can  be  secured.    The  dozen  or  more  furnaces  now 
being  operated  in  the  western  part  of  Virginia,  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  the  Monroe  county  iron,  are  all  using  the  same  ore  that  is 
found  here  and  are  being  w^orked  successfully. 

Manganese. — Some  little  manganese  is  found  in  the  mountains 
^along  with  the  iron  ores,  but  little  is  known  as  to  its  extent  or 
value.    There  is  probably  a  good  deal  of  it  stored  away  in  the 
mountains. 

Stone  AND  Marble.— The  county  is  in  the  midst  of  a  limestone 
outcrop  and  the  limestone  is  so  prevalent  in  places  that  there  is 
scarce  room  for  any  soil.  There  is  the  greatest  abundance  of  it  for 
building,  road  making,  agricult-iral  and  fluxing  purposes  and  for 


MawROE  County. 


burning  lime.  Sandstone  is  found  in  places,  but  there  is  very  little 
of  it,  compared  with  the  vast  quantities  of  limestone  that  exist. 
Some  of  the  limestone  is  very  fine  and  at  times  becomes  marble. 
Several  quarries  of  fine  black  and  grey  marble  are  found  and  it  is 
claimed  by*  some  that  there  is  a  lithographic  stone  in  one  part  of 
the  county.  The  marbles  and  lithographic  stone  are  little  known, 
few  investigations  ever  having  been  made  as  to  their  value  or  ex- 
tent. 

Mineral  Waters. — Monroe  has  perhaps  a  greater  variety  and 
abundance  of  mineral  waters  than  any  other  county  in  the  State 
There  have  been  since  long  before  the  war  numerous  fashionable  sum- 
mer resorts  in  the  county,  where  people  go  to  escape  the  heat  of  other 
places  and  to  drink  the  health -giving  waters  of  Monroe.  The  waters 
have  various  properties  and  are  beneficial  in  a  great  many  of  the 
ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to. 

Ti.viBER  —Monroe  was  never  a  well  timbered  county.  There  was  an 
abundance  of  small  growth,  but  little  good  saw  timber,  and  probably 
not  over  a  tenth  of  the  area  of  the  county  is  now  covered  with  val- 
uable timber.  What  is  le(t  is  principally  oak,  cherry,  chestnut 
and  maple,  with  a  little  pine  in  small  tracts.  Sugar  maples  are  left 
in  places  for  the  sap,  but  are  not  of  much  account  for  timber.  There 
is  considerable  small  timber  suitable  for  railroad  ties,  telegraph 
poles,  hickory  for  wagon  material  and  a  good  deal  of  tanbark  but  as 
a  timber  producing  county  Monroe  does  not  rank  well. 

Agricultural. — The  limestone  soil  of  this  county  produces  a 
most  excellent  blue  grass  sod  and,  along  with  Greenbrier,  the  adjoin- 
ing county  and  quite  similar  in  most  respects,  Monroe  bears  an  ex- 
cellent reputation  as  a  cattle  raising  county.  The  ground,  where 
cultivated,  produces  well  and  all  kinds  of  grain  are  raised.  Corn, 
oats,  wheat  and  buckwheat  are  the  principal  crops.  In  the  western 
part  of  the  county  very  fine  tol)acco  is  raised  The  soil  there  seems 
to  be  especially  adapted  to  the  culture  of  tobacco  and  there  is  a  great 
deal  of  it  grown.  The  people  are  principally  from  old  Virginia  and* 
they  all  understand  the  culture  of  tobacco  Grazing  is  the  prin- 
cipal industry  of  the  county  and  fat  cattle  in  great  numbers  are  sent 
out  of  the  county  every  year.  All  kinds  of  stock  are  raised — fine 
horses,  hogs  and  sheep  as  well  as  cattle  Sheep  are  very  profitable. 
In  much  of  the  land  the  limestone  crops  out  so  thick  that  it  is  im- 


Morgan  County. 


199 


possible  to  plow  it  and  on  this  land  where  there  would  seem  to  be 
hardly  room  for  the  sheep  to  step  without  standing  on  rock,  they 
pick  up  a  splendid  living  and  thrive.  It  is  good  for  nothing  else 
and  the  blue  grass  grows  spontaneously,  and  sheep  raising  is  the  only 
way  to  get  any  yield  at  all  out  of  the  land.  This  rocky  land  is  not 
prevalent  in  the-county  and  there  is  much  very  fine  pasturage.  The 
people  find  stock  raising  profitable  and  there  are  many  opportuni- 
ties to  purchase  good  farms  cheap.  The  high,  rich  lands  of  this 
coilnty  are  admirably  adapted  to  fruit  culture  and  principally  im- 
proved varieties  are  cultivated.  Fruits  of  all  kinds  are  very  fine 
and  yield  well. 

MORGAN  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character, — Morgan  is  one  of  the  three  counties 
in  the  eastern  "panhandle"  almost  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
State,  being  connected  by  a  narrow  strip  only  at  the  northeastern 
corner  of  Hampshire  county.  To  the  north  is  the  State  of  Mary- 
land, and  the  southern  corner  borders  for  some  distance  along  the 
State  of  Virginia.  The  northern  boundary  is  the  Potomac  river,  on 
the  West  Virginia  side  of  which  is  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad, 
and  on  the  other  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal.  The  Great  Caca- 
pon  river  flows  northward  through  the  western  part  of  the  county 
into  the  Potomac  river,  and  Sleepy  creek  waters  the  eastern  part  of 
the  county.  Berkeley  Springs,  the  county  seat,  is  reached  by  a 
branch  line  from  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad,  5  miles  long. 
The  distance  from  here  to  Martinsburg  is  28  miles,  to  Baltimore  128, 
to  Parkersburg  262,  to  Wheeling  258,  to  Chicago  725  miles.  The 
county  is  principally  mountainous  and  rocky,  though  the  valleys  of 
the  streams  are  fertile  and  of  good  width. 

Coal. — Morgan  is  one  of  the  two  counties  in  West  Virginia,  in 
which  anthracite  coal  has  been  found.  From  six  to  ten  thousand 
acres  are  embraced  in  the  field,  lying  in  the  counties  of  Berkeley 
and  Morgan.  The  first  anthracite  coal  found  in  the  State  was  in 
Morgan  county.  It  was  a  6  loot  vein.  The  shaft  which  had  been 
dug  was  unprotected,  soon  fiUod  with  water  and  was  abandoned. 
This  field  being  the  same  as  that  in  Berkeley  county  the  description 
under  the  head  of  that  county  will  answer  for  this  also.  Further 
information  may  also  be  had  in  the  chapter  on  coal,  in  this  vol- 
ume.   There  is  no  bituminous  coal  in  Morgan  county. 


200 


Morgan  County. 


Iron  — Iron  ores  in  abundance  have  been  found  in  Morgan  county, 
principally  brown  hematite,  and  are  shipped  in  considerable  quan- 
tities to  furnaces  in  Pennsylvania,  where  they  are  made  into  pig 
iron.  The  ores  are  found  principally  in  the  Sandy  ridge,  which 
passes  north  and  south  through  the  center  of  the  county.  Some 
other  iron  ores  are  found,  but  they  are  of  little  importance. 

Limestone. — This  section  of  the  State  seems  to  contain  about  the 
purest  limestone  found  in  any  part  of  it.  The  lime  burned  from 
the  stone  found  in  tnis  and  adjacent  counties  is  of  excellent  char- 
acter and  sells  well.  Burning  lime  is  quite  an  industry  in  this 
county  and  a  good  deal  is  made. 

Glass  Sand  — The  Sandy  ridge,  in  the  center  of  the  county,  is 
almost  entirely  composed  of  a  white  sandstone  which  is  nearly  pure 
silex  and  said  to  be  the  finest  glass  sand  in  the  world.  There  are 
several  quarries  where  the  stone  is  gotten  out  and  crushed.  The 
sand  thus  obtained  is  shipped  to  glass  factories  all  over  the  coun- 
try and  its  preparation  forms  one  of  the  principal  industries  of 
the  county.  The  sand  is  also  used  by  the  railroad  company  on  its 
locomotives  where  sand  must  be  carried  to  keep  the  wheels  from 
slipping.  But  it  is  too  valuable  to  be  used  in  this  way  long,  and 
while  the  county  is  full  of  it,  more  pains  will  be  taken  in  the  future 
to  preserve  it  for  the  purpose  to  which  it  is  so  well  adapted. 

Clay. — A  good  potter's  clay  has  been  found  in  small  quantities 
in  the  county  and  was  at  one  time  worked,  but  it  has  lain  untouched 
now  for  many  years. 

Tjmber  — Perhaps  one  half  the  county  is  still  uncleared,  but  not 
all  of  this  is  in  timber  that  is  valuable  for  lumber.  Still  there  is  a 
large  amount  of  good  timber  standing.  It  is  principally  white, 
red  and  chestnut  oak,  some  of  these  varieties  growing  to  immense 
size,  hickory,  poplar,  ash,  walnut  and  cherry.  Not  much  is  gotten 
out  for  saw  timber,  but  the  amount  of  ties,  staves,  hoop  poles  and 
tanbark  produced  is  large. 

Agricultural. — The  valleys  of  the  various  streams  of  the  county 
are  broad  and  fertile,  and  make  fine  farms.  Much  of  the  mountain 
land  is  not  suited  to  farming,  but  makes  excellent  pasturage.  The 
county  is  full  of  limestone  and  blue  grass  grows  luxuriantly.  Stock 
raising  has  come  to  be  one  of  the  principal  industries  of  the  county 
and  all  kinds  of  stock  are  raised.    Horses  and  cattle  do  well  but 


McDowell  County. 


201 


particular  attention  is  given  to  sheep,  which  are  raised  in  consider- 
able numbers  and  the  probabilities  are  that  sheep  culture  will  be 
largely  increased  in  the  future,  owing  to  the  natural  adaptation  of 
the  county  to  them.  The  county  is  also  well  adapted  to  the  cul- 
ture of  grapes  and  other  fruits,  though  little  fruit  of  any  kind  is 
now  raised.    All  that  is  grown,  though,  does  well. 


Mcdowell  county. 

Location  and  Ciiar/cter, — The  southernmost  county  in  the 
State  is  McDowell.  Three  sides  of  the  county  are  almost  sur- 
rounded by  the  State  of  Virginia  and  the  county  is  bounded  by 
mountain  ranges.  Rising  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  and 
flowing  w^estward  is  the  Tug  fork  of  Big  Sandy  river,  into  which 
flow  several  tributaries  of  small  size.  Along  this  river,  through  the 
northern  part  of  the  county  runs  the  new  extension  of  the  Norfolk  & 
Western  railroad,  the  first  to  penetrate  the  mountain  fastnesses  of  the 
county  and  to  bring  to  the  reach  of  the  world  the  abundant  mineral 
wealth  that  is  hidden  away  in  jts  mountains.  Practically  a  wilder- 
ness a  few  years  ago  with  only  a  scattering  popvilation  among  the 
mountains  and  scarcely  any  degree  of  civilization,  the  county  is 
now  rapidly  becoming  one  of  the  foremost  in  the  State  in  a  busi- 
ness way  and  the  development  of  its  coal  is  rapidly  bringing  the 
county  into  prominence.  The  Norfolk  &  Western  railroad  gives 
direct  connection  in  all  directions,  by  way  of  which  Welch,  the 
county  seat,  is  400  miles  from  Norfolk,  329  from  Cincinnati,  234 
from  Charleston,  184  from  Huntington  and  399  from  Wheeling.  The 
county  is  principall}^  rough  and  mountainous.  Except  along  the 
railroad  it  is  still  in  a  very  primitive  state  and  even  there  the  fact 
is  evident  that  the  country  is  a  newly  opened  one.  The  topography 
of  the  county  is  similar  to  that  of  the  neighboring  counties  except 
perhaps  that  here  it  is  rougher  and  more  broken. 

Coal. — McDowell  county  is  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the  finest 
coal  regions  in  the  United  States,  the  Flat  Top  field.  An  area  about 
twenty  by  forty  miles,  is  underlaid  by  the  finest  coking  coal  known. 
The  Fiat  Top  coal  has  achieved  a  national  reputation  and  the  rapid 
development  of  the  coal  and  the  ready  sale  with  which  it  meets  at- 
test the  value  of  both  the  coal  andjthe  coke  made  from  it.  In  Mercer 


202 


McDowell  County. 


county  there  is  but  one  vein  of  the  coal,  but  in  McDowell  the  vein 
separates  and  forms  two  veins  about  60  feet  apart,  respectively  4  and 
6  feet  thick  on  an  average.  These  thicknesses  vary  a  little  but  the 
average  of  the  two  is  about  ten  feet.  The  coal  is  a  most  excellent 
grade  of  the  finest  coking  coal  known  in  the  countr3^  It  is  a  supe- 
rior grate  and  steam  coal,  giving  an  exceedingly  bright,  hot  fire.  It 
is  low  in  volatile  matter  and  ash  and  high  in  fixed  carbon.  The 
coal  property  of  the  county  is  principally  owned  by  two  corpora- 
tions who  lease  it  out  to  mining  companies  on  liberal  terms.  The 
reports  of  the  State  Mine  Inspectors  show  that  for  the  year  ending 
June  30,  1891,  the  20  mines  of  McDowell  county  and  the  966  coke 
ovens,  employed  1,497  men,  produced  336,259  tons  of  coke  and  704,- 
871  tons  of  coal.  For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1892,  there  were  25 
mines,  1,992  coke  ovens  completed  and  626  under  construction,  em- 
ploying 1,655  men  and  producing  194,390  tons  of  coke  and  1,100,- 
882  tons  of  coal. 

Timber. — But  little  of  the  timber  ot  the  county  has  ever  been  taken 
out  and  fully  two  thirds  of  the  county  is  still  in  untouched  forests, 
embracing  all  the  finer  kinds  of  the  hard  wood  timbers  of  the  State. 
Oaks  of  the  finest  quality  and  size  are  abundant  and  poplar  is  found 
in  large  quantities.  The  waters  of  the  Sandy  river  afford  an  easy 
outlet  for  the  timber  of  the  county  and  the  railroad,  now  opening 
up  the  country,  also  affords  a  means  of  reaching  the  market.  The 
timber  is  being  worked  up  now  quite  rapidly  but  there  is  still  an 
enormous  quantity  of  it  standing  in  the  county. 

Agricultural. —The  county  is  too  rough  and  broken  to  afford 
much  of  an  opportunity  for  successful  farming.  Corn  in  places 
grows  well  and  there  are  some  bottom  lands  and  levels  in  various 
parts  of  the  county  which  yield  good  crops.  Grass  grows  well  on 
most  of  the  hills  when  once  the  timber  is  removed  and  the  clearing 
of  the  forests  will  be  followed  by  a  greater  cultivation  of  the  soil 
and  grazing  is  sure  to  become  one  of  the  principal  forms  of  agricul- 
ture in  the  county.  There  is  a  good  market  for  all  kinds  of  farm 
products  among  the  mines  and  towns  that  are  springing  up  along 
the  line  of  the  new  road. 


Mmn  i^r 


Map  of  West  Virginia,  1.S03. 


Nicholas  County. 


203 


NICHOLAS  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Nicholas  county  lies  immediately 
south  of  the  center  of  the  State.  Through  the  center  of  the  county 
in  a  southwesterly  direction  flows  the  Gauley  river,  into  which 
within  the  boundaries  of  this  county  flow  the  Cranberry,  Cherry, 
Hominy  and  Meadow  rivers  and  several  smaller  streams.  The 
county  is  full  of  springs  of  the  purest  water  and  the  streams  are  well 
supplied  with  water  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  and  the  waters  are  sel- 
dom muddy.  Gauley  river  is  navigable  at  times  for  small  push 
boats  but  the  principal  means  of  bringing  goods  into  the  county  has 
been  by  hauling  them  from  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  railroad.  The 
completion  of  the  West  Virginia  &  Pittsburg  railroad  to  the  Gauley 
river  in  Webster  county  has  given  to  the  northern  part  of  the 
county  closer  railroad  connection  than  by  the  C.  &  0.  Summers- 
ville,  the  county  seat,  is  30  mile^  from  the  C.  &  O.,  by  way  of 
which  it  is  68  miles  from  Charleston,  279  from  Cincinnati,  361  from 
Richmond  and  584  from  Chicago.  From  the  W.  Va.  &  P.  Summers- 
ville  is  about  15  miles,  and  by  this  way  the  distance  is  241  miles  to 
Wheeling,  299  to  Baltimore.  The  county  is  largely  mountainous 
and  all  elevated.  Much  of  the  county  is  an  elevated  and  rolling; 
plateau.  The  Gauley  river  for  most  of  its  course  in  this  county,  is 
cut  down  deep  below  the  level  of  this  plateau  and  its  banks  are 
high  and  steep.  The  mountains  in  some  parts  become  quite  high, 
but  are  not  steep  and  may  be  cultivated  to  the  tops.  The  roads  in 
the  county  are  mostly  turnpikes  and  are  all  kept  in  good  condition, 
A  branch  of  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  railroad  is  under  construction 
from  the  mouth  of  Gauley  river  up  to  the  Nicholas  county  line 
from  which  point  it  will  probably  be  extended  up  Twenty  Mile 
creek  into  the  western  part  of  the  county.  TheC.  &  0.  Ry.  Co.  also 
contemplates  the  construction  of  a  branch  up  the  Meadow  river 
through  the  southern  part  of  Nicholas  county,  connecting  with  the 
main  line  of  the  C  &  O.  east  of  the  new  river  canyons. 

Coal. — The  conglomerate  or  New  River  coal  measures  cover  the 
eastern  portion  of  the  county  and  some  splendid  beds  of  this  fa- 
mous coking  coal,  termed  by  Prof.  White  the  "purest  of  coals,"  are 
found.  The  veins  here  do  not  reach  the  same  thickness  that  they 
do  further  south  but  the  coals  are  just  as  good  and  in  workable 


204 


Nicholas  County. 


veins  and  it  is  to  reach  this  field  of  fine  coking  coal  that  the  Mead- 
ow river  branch  of  the  C.  &  O.  is  to  be  constructed.  In  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  county  the  €oal  belongs  to  the  Lower  coal  measures 
and  several  varieties  are  found.  Splint  and  cannel  coals  are  found 
in  thin  veins,  which  thicken  as  they  go  southward.  The  cannel 
coal  of  Nicholas  county  is  most  too  thin  to  be  of  any  value,  but 
some  good  splint  coal  is  found.  A  good  coking  coal  is  also  found 
in  large  veins  and  over  considerable  area.  Nine-loot  veins  are  being 
opened  up  in  the  valley  of  Twenty  Mile  creek,  toward  which  the  C. 
&  0.  is  pushing.  To  summarize :  Workable  beds  of  coal  may  be 
found  over  the  entire  county  from  3  to  9  leet  in  thickness,  including 
the  best  varieties  of  the  New  River  and  Kanawha  coals.  Coking, 
fuel,  splint  and  cannel  are  found,  the  latter  seldom  in  workable 
veins.  Not  a  bushel  of  coal  has  ever  been  mined  in  the  county  ex- 
cept for  local  use  and  this  immense  territory  of  valuable  and  un- 
touched coal  is  awaiting  merely  a  developing  hand  to  prove  un- 
questionably its  enormous  value. 

Iron — Little  is  known  of  the  iron  ores  of  this  county  save  that 
there  are  rich  veins  of  valuable  black  band  ore.  The  ore  crops  out 
along  Little  Elk  creek  and  in  some  other  places  but  no  efforts  have 
been  made  to  discover  the  value  or  extent  of  the  ores. 

Stone  and  Clay. — There  is  an  abundance  of  fine  building  sand- 
stone throughout  the  county  and  in  some  places  good  millstone  and 
grindstone  grits  have  been  found. 

Fire  and  potter's  clays  are  found  in  abundance  and  a  small  pot- 
tery has  been  successfully  operated  in  the  county. 

Timber. — Some  of  the  finest  timber  in  the  State  is  found  in 
Nicholas  county  and  the  best  of  it  all  remains  untouched.  From 
not  over  a  fourth  of  the  county  has  the  timber  been  removed  and 
some  magnificent  forests  yet  remain.  Along  the  eastern  border 
and  extending  into  Greenbrier,  Pocahontas  and  Webster  counties  is 
what  is  called  "The  Wilderness,"  where  a  space  25  miles  square  is 
said  to  be  without  a  human  habitation.  Unbroken  forests  cover 
this  entire  region,  deer  paths  being  the  only  openings.  A  large  part 
of  this  is  in  the  "yew  pine  region"  and  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
black  spruce  as  well  as  other  kinds  of  timber.  Most  of  the  spruce, 
though,  is  in  that  portion  which  is  in  the  other  counties  and  poplar 
and  the  hard  woods  are  the  most  prevalent  ones  in  Nicholas.  Much 


Nicholas  County. 


205 


of  the  land  has  been  owned  in  large  tracts  and  the  timber  has  been 
saved,  although  a  great  deal  of  very  fine  quality  has  been  taken 
down  Gauley  river.  Poplar  has  been  cut  more  than  any  other 
kind  and  still  covers  the  greater  part  of  the  county.  The  roads  pa^s 
through  these  forests  in  many  places  and  the  traveler  passes  along 
through  the  midst  of  thousands  of  acres  of  splendid  poplars,  from 
four  to  eight  feet  thick  and  50  feet  or  more  to  the  first  limb.  Oaks 
of  enormous  size  grow  also  in  abundance.  Besides  the  oaks  and 
poplar  the  principal  timber  trees  of  Nicholas  county  are  hickory, 
chestnut,  cherry,  ash,  lynn,  walnut,  maple,  beech,  birch,  locust  and 
holly.  There  has  been  a  good  deal  of  fine  walnut  in  the  county 
but  it  is  being  rapidly  removed.  There  is  enough  of  the  other 
kinds  still  standing,  though,  to  last  the  largest  mills  for  years  to 
come.  A  few  mills  are  located  in  the  county  and  some  logs  are  ta- 
ken out  the  Gauley  to  be  sawed  at  other  places  but  the  timber  sup- 
ply is  being  almost  imperceptibly  reduced  by  this. 

Agricultural. —  Though  blessed  with  magnificent  timber  forests 
anS  rich  deposits  of  minerals,  Nicholas  is  still  essentially  a  farming 
county.  The  soil  is  rich  and  much  of  the  land  lies  well.  The 
broad  open  area  of  the  plateau  land  that  forms  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  county,  makes  excellent  farming  land  and  it  is  utilized 
for  that  purpose.  Grains  grow  well  and  so  does  grass.  Corn  is  the 
principal  crop  though  wheat  and  the  other  cereals  all  yield  well. 
The  county  is  a  splendid  one  for  grass  and  blue  grass  flourishes. 
The  farmers  all  raise  cattle  though  the  stock  has  not  the  reputation 
of  that  from  some  of  the  surrounding  counties.  Sheep  are  raised 
to  some  extent  and  it  is  an  excellent  county  for  them,  adapted  by 
soil,  character  and  climate.  The  rich  uplands  are  particularly 
suited  to  fruit  culture  and  all  kinds  of  fruits  grow  well.  Apples, 
peaches  and  grapes  are  grown  equal  to  the  best  the  markets  afford 
anywhere  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

OHIO  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — About  the  centre  of  the  northern 
panhandle,  that  narrow  strip  wedged  in  between  Ohio  and  Penn- 
sylvania in  the  extreme  north  of  the  State,  is  Ohio  county.  Brooke 
and  Hancock  are  the  only  counties  north  of  it,  also  the  only  ones  in 
the  State  of  smaller  area.    Though  one  of  the  smallest  counties  in 


206 


Ohio  County. 


the  State  in  size,  it  is  second  in  population  and  contains  the  largest 
city  in  the  State.  The  county  in  similar  in  topography  and  char- 
acter to  the  other  panhandle  counties.  None  of  it  is  very  high, 
though  the  greater  part  of  the  county  is  hilly.  Some  of  the  hills 
are  rough  and  steep  but  few  of  them  too  steep  to  be  of  value  for 
farming,  grazing  or  some  other  purpose.  The  Ohio  river  forms  the 
western  boundary  of  the  entire  county,  by  way  of  which  Wheeling, 
the  county  seat,  is  96  miles  from  Pittsburg,  384  from  Cincinnati. 
By  rail  Wheeling  is  71  miles  from  Pittsburg,  280  from  Martinsburg, 
94  from  Parkersburg,  228  from  Charleston,  215  from  Huntington 
and  467  from  Chicago.  Several  railroads  pass  through  Ohio  county, 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  systems  being  the  largest. 
The  Ohio  River  railroad  connects  all  the  western  counties  of  the 
State  while  numerous  other  roads  from  Ohio  cross  the  river  into 
Wheeling,  making  this  a  splendid  shipping  point  and  placing  the 
county  in  direct  communication  with  all  parts  of  the  country.  The 
county  is  well  supplied  with  splendid  roads.  The  National  road 
and  all  the  rest  are  carefully  looked  after  and  well  kept  up  Sev- 
eral streams  flow  through  the  county  and  empty  into  the  Ohio  river, 
but  all  are  small.  The  county  is  the  most  thickly  settled  in  the 
State. 

Coal. — The  Pittsburg  seam  of  coal  is  found  in  Ohio  county  and  is 
worked  in  half  a  dozen  places  in  the  county.  The  vein  averages  5^ 
feet  in  thickness  and  the  coal  is  of  an  excellent  quality,  being  used 
exclusively  in  many  of  the  large  iron  working  mills  of  Wheeling. 
The  principal  vein  is  found  at  Wheeling  about  a  hundred  feet  above 
the  water  level  and  this  it  was  which  formed  the  basis  of  Wheeling's 
early  prosperity  and  caused  its  growth  to  its  present  large  propor- 
tions. The  reports  of  the  State  Mine  Inspectors  show  that  for  the 
year  ending  June  30,  1891,  the  coal  production  of  the  county  was 
80,738  tons.  For  the  following  year  it  had  increased  to  82,534 
tons.  The  coal  is  all  mined  exclusively  for  local  use,  little,  if  any, 
being  shipped  outside  the  county. 

Stone. — Good  building  stone  may  be  found  in  any  part  of  the 
county  both  sand  and  limestones  being  abundant,  and  much  of  it 
has  been  used  in  the  many  handsome  buildings  which  are  to  be  seen 
in  Wheeling. 

Clay.— In  Ohio  county  several  kinds  of  clays  are  found  in 


Ohio  County. 


207 


abundance.  Brick  clay,  fire  clay,  potter's  clay  and  a  cement  clay, 
from  which  cement  is  made,  are  all  found  in  large  quantities.  They 
form  the  foundation  on  which  are  built  some  of  the  most  substan- 
tial industries  of  Wheeling.  Potteries,  brick  and  fire  brick  works 
are  numerous  and  employ  a  large  number  of  men. 

Timber. — So  thickly  populated  as  the  county  is  and  has  been  for 
years,  with  all  the  land  made  valuable  by  its  proximity  to  the  city, 
but  little  timber  has  been  allowed  to  stand,  and  to-day  the  entire 
county  is  practically  stripped  of  all  its  timber. 

Agricultural.— The  soil  of  the  county  is  uniformly  good  and 
most  of  it  is  worked.  A  dark  loam,  rich  and  productive,  it  is 
adapted  to  nearly  all  kinds  of  crops  and  produces  splendid  yields. 
Wheat  and  corn  are  grown  to  some  extent,  garden  products  in  great 
quantities,  while  all  the  land,  on  the  hills  as  well  as  in  the  valleys, 
produces  most  excellent  grass.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  limestone  in 
the  county  and  the  blue  grass  grows  magnificently,  the  county  shar- 
ing with  the  others  of  the  panhandle  the  excellent  reputation  which 
they  have  as  grazing  counties.  Sheep,  cattle  and  horses  are  largely 
raised,  particularly  the  former,  which  yield  a  wool  of  most  excel- 
lent quality,  commanding  a  high  price  in  all  the  markets.  In 
grazing  or  in  farming  about  all  the  land  in  the  county  outside  of 
the  city  is  under  cultivation  and  ready  markets  are  found  at  home. 
Many  tomatoes,  cucumbers,  etc.,  are  grown  lor  the  catsup,  canning, 
pickling  and  preserving  works  of  Wheeling. 

Wheeling,  the  largest  city  in  the  State,  claims  40,000  people. 
The  census  of  J  890  gave  the  city  34,522,  an  increase  in  ten  years  of 
12.31  per  cent.  This,  however,  does  not  represent  the  real  popula- 
tion of  the  city.  The  numerous  suburbs,  in  all  except  in  name  a  part 
of  Wheeling,  would  nearly  double  the  population  of  the  city  as  given 
above.  It  owes  its  prosperity  almost  exclusively  to  its  manufac- 
turing interests.  Millions  ot  dollars  are  represented  in  the  capital 
employed  in  manufacturing  in  the  city.  At  one  time  Wheeling 
was  the  greatest  nail  producing  city  in  the  Union  and  was  given 
the  name  of  "the  Nail  City."  But  other  manufacturing  has  taken 
its  place  since  then  and  nails  are  but  a  small  part  of  the  product  of 
the  city's  factories.  The  principal  factories  now  in  operation  are 
the  iron  and  steel  works,  wood  working  establishments,  glass  facto- 
ries, potteries,  breweries,  tobacco  houses,  canning,  pickling  and  pre- 


208 


Ohio  County. 


serving  works.  As  showing  the  volume  of  the  manufacturing 
business  in  Wheeling  the  following  figures  of  the  exports  from 
Wheeling  for  1890  will  be  of  interest.  The  tons  sent  out  of  Wheel- 
ing in  that  year  were  as  follows:  Pig  iron,  380,000;  steel,  328,000; 
muck  bar,  68,000;  nailplate,  140,000;  nails,  132,000;  bar,  sheet  and 
p^ate  iron  and  steel,  including  galvanized  and  corrugated  iron,  roof- 
ing, etc.,  115,000;  steel  pipe,  30,000;  glass,  18,000;  merchandise, 
100,000 ;  miscellaneous  manufactures,  including  pottery,  140,000 ; 
wool,  1,200;  total,  1,452,200 

The  following  is  but  a  partial  list  of  the  more  important  indus- 
tries or  manufactures  of  the  city  of  Wheeling:  Bessemer  foundry 
and  pig  iron ;  bessemer  steel  ingots,  billets  and  nail  plate;  steel  nails 
and  spikes;  steel,  iron  and  sheet  steel;  bar  iron,  bar  steel  and  rails; 
plate  iron  and  steel  plates;  galvanized  and  corrugated  iron  and 
steel;  cold  rolled  iron  and  steel;  iron  roofing  and  car  roofing  iron ; 
iron  cornices  and  shaped  iron  for  builders;  iron  and  steel  axles; 
stoves  and  grates;  hollow  ware;  engines  arid  boilers;  nail  machines; 
steamboat  machinery;  iron  vats  and  tanks;  iron  chimneys  and 
stacks;  machinery  and  castings  of  all  kinds;  tacks,  hob  nails  and 
wire  nails;  general  iron  castings  and  forgings;  iron  and  metal  ceil- 
ing; wire  signs,  netting  and  wire  work;  flint  and  lead  glass  table 
ware;  cut  glass;  glass  chandeliers;  lanterns  and  lantern  globes;  bot- 
tles, flasks,  jars  and  cruets,  crystal  and  colored  ;  table  queensware; 
porcelain  china;  decorated  ware;  pottery  of  all  kinds;  wagons  and 
carriages;  sashes,  doors,  and  shutters;  barrels,  kegs,  staves  and 
bungs ;  sawed  and  planed  lumber;  furniture;  pork  packing;  flour 
and  meal;  roasted  coffee;  baking  powder;  ground  spices;  mustard 
for  fine  fancy  trade,  and  in  bulk ;  mince  meat,  canned  goods,  pre- 
serves and  jellies ;  catsup;  pickles;  horse  radish  ;  soap  and  candles; 
illuminating  and  lubricating  oil;  calico;  stockings;  gloves  and  sus- 
penders; leather;  sails,  awnings  and  tents;  brass  and  bronze  cast- 
ing; copper  kettles ;  electro  plating;  galvanizing ;  cigars  and  smok- 
ing tobacco;  beer,  wme  and  ale;  bricks,  lime  and  cement ;  chemicals; 
artificial  ice ;  glue ;  saddles  and  harness;  trunks  and  valises;  monu- 
ments and  headstones;  patent  medicines. 

Not  only  as  a  manufacturing  city  is  Wheeling  known,  but  it  is  a 
city  of  great  and  growing  commercial  importance.  Business  inter- 
Cvsts  are  very  large.    Wholesale  houses  do  a  tremendous  busincirS 


Ohio  County. 


209 


throughout  this  State  and  others  The  city  has  exc'ellent 
rapid  transit  using  hoth  steam  and  electric  power,  plenty  of  bridges, 
excellently  paved  streets  and  all  that  goes  to  show  progress  and  en- 
terprise in  a  growing  city.  The  Wheeling  Intelligencer,  in  a  recent 
issue,  said  :  "From  her  infancy  Wheeling  has  enjoyed  a  prestige  in 
the  surrounding  country  for  her  culture.  Her  churches,  her  schools, 
public  and  private;  her  literary  and  social  circles,  her  press,  all  have 
always  compared  with  the  best  anywhere.  Her  streets  and  her 
business  houses,  her  homes  and  public  buildings  are  modern  and 
tasteful.  Her  physicians  are  skilled,  her  lawyers  shrewd  and 
learned,  her  people  progressive  and  public  spirited.  The  city  im- 
presses the  visitor  not  as  a  town  of  40,000  people,  but  as  one  of  the 
leading  metropolises  of  the  country.  Indeed,  her  population, 
while  nominally  not  40,000,  should  be,  as  large  cities  count,  several 
times  that.  North  and  south  of  her,  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  is  a 
population  equal  to  her  own,  tributary  to  Jier — a  homogeneous  pop- 
ulation of  75,000.  They  are  in  all  but  nominal  extent  of  the  city 
limits  a  part  of  the  population  of  Wheeling.  Easy  access  to  the 
business  establishments,  the  theatres  and  the  other  facilities  of  the 
larger  city  have  made  Bellaire,  Bridgeport,  Martin's  Ferry,  Benwood 
and  other  near-by  towns,  ail  of  considerable  size,  substantially  parts 
of  the  greater  W^heeling,  and  inured  to  the  material  advantage  of 
them  and  her  alike.  Creditable  as  her  position  among  the  commu- 
nities of  America  has  always  been,  Wheeling  is  but  entering  upon 
the  career  which  she  is  destined  to  have.  An  era  of  enterprise,  of 
progress,  of  metropolitan  energy  and  vigor  is  opening.  On  all  sides 
signs  of  it  are  seen  ;  and  as  West  Virginia  moves  forward  in  the  line 
of  her  destiny,  her  metropolitan  city  will  always  be  found  abreast  of 
the  vanguard — possibly  still  a  little  in  the  lead." 

PENDLETON  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character  — Along  the  eastern  border,  directly 
east  of  the  center  of  the  State,  is  Pendleton  county.  On  the  east 
and  south  of  it  is  the  State  of  Virginia.  In  the  southern  part  of 
the  county,  near  the  headwaters  of  the  South  Branch  river,  is  Pan- 
ther Knob,  the  highest  point  in  the  State,  the  altitude  of  which  is 
shown  by  the  aneroid  barometer  to  be  4,800  feet  above  sea  level. 
The  entire  county  is  high,  but  rises  gradually  from  the  northern  to 


210 


Pendleton  County. 


the  southern  end,  which  is  the  dividing  ridge  between  the  waters 
flowing  north  and  those  flowing  south.  Near  the  southern  border 
of  the  county  is  a  barn,  from  the  roof  of  which  the  water  runs  in 
opposite  directions.  Tiiat  from  one  side  of  the  barn  flows  north 
into  the  Potomac  river,  from  the  other  south  into  the  Jackson  and 
James  rivers  and  the  waters  of  the  two  unite'  again  in  the  Chesa- 
peake bay.  The  South  Branch  of  the  Potomac  and  the  North  and 
South  Forks  of  the  South  Branch  all  rise  near  the  southern  end  of 
Pendleton  county  and  flow  almost  parallel  northward,  uniting  in 
the  counties  below.  Though  rising  in  a  high  altitude,  their  fall  is 
slight  and  gradual  so  that  their  course  might  easily  be  followed  by 
a  railroad  with  very  little  necessity  for  cuts  or  fills.  Between  and 
on  either  side  of  these  streams  are  parallel  ridges  of  high  mountains, 
extending  on  into  Grant,  Hardy,  Hampshire  and  Mineral  counties, 
which  are  very  similar  in  most  respects  to  Pendleton  couiity  except 
that  the  valleys  in  Pendleton  are  neither  quite  so  wide  nor  so  fertile  as 
in  the  lower  counties.  The  air  and  water  are  pure  and  fresh,  the 
scenery  beautiful,  the  climate  delightful.  Only  better  connection 
with  the  outside  world  is  needed  to  make  this  one  of  the  most  de- 
sirable residence  portions  of  the  State.  The  nearest  railroad  point 
to  Franklin,  the  county  seat,  is  Plarrisonburg,  Va.,  which  is  40 
miles  distant  across  rough  mountain  roads  and  several  ridges.  It  is 
70  miles  down  the  South  Branch  valley  to  Keyser  and  the  B.  &  0. 
railroad.  By  Harrisonburg  the  distance  to  Charleston  is  299  miles, 
to  Richmond  202,  to  Baltimore  195,  to  Cincinnati  510.  By  the  B. 
&  0.  the  distance  to  Wheeling  is  250  miles,  to  Chicago  7^.7. 

Coal. — A  small  quantity  of  coal  has  been  found  in  the  north 
western  part  of  the  county — merely  enough  to  say  that  there  is  coal 
in  the  county  and  no  more.  It  is  bituminous  coal  and  is  found 
near  the  tops  of  the  mountains,  from  which  it  dips  westward  and 
passes  into  the  counties  beyond. 

Iron. — The  principal  natural  resource  of  Pendleton  county  is  its 
iron,  which  is  widely  distributed  and  very  valuable.  Years  ago, 
before  the  war,  some  iron  was  made  here  and  a  number  of  stoves, 
moulded  at  that  time,  are  still  in  use  in  the  county.  The  varieties 
of  ore  found  are  red  fossiliferous,  red  shale,  brown  hematite  and 
shaly  brown  hematite.  The  red  fossiliferous,  the  most  important 
of  these  ores,  is  found  in  five  veins,  one  52,  one  30,  one  27  inches  in 


Pendleton  County.  211 

thickness,  the  other  two  smaller.  One  of  these  veins,  the  larger  one, 
has  been  followed  for  45  miles,  the  entire  length  of  the  county,  from' 
Hardy  until  it  dips  under  the  Highland,  Va.,  county  line.  The  two 
other  large  veins  were  followed,  the  one  for  8,  the  other  for  3  miles, 
and  both  went  under  the  limestone  within  sight  of  the  Virginia 
line.  This  red  fossiliferous  ore,  which  analyzes  about  55  per  cent 
metallic  iron,  is  found  in  Pennsylvania  in  very  small  veins  and  is 
what  has  made  that  State  so  great  a  producer  of  iron.  It  is  seen 
again  here  in  West  Virginia^  and  then  disappears  to  crop  out  again 
at  Birmingham,  Ala.,  where  the  same  kind  of  ore  that  is  found  here 
has  made  that  city  the  most  famous  iron  producing  center  in  the 
south.  The  Alabama  ore  is  not  nearly  so  rich  in  iron  as  this,  nor  is 
that  in  Pennsylvania  so  thick.  Properly  developed,  this  iron  should 
make  Pendleton  county  as  prosperous  and  prominent  in  iron  circles 
as  is  either  of  the  regions  mentioned.  Besides  the  red  fossiliferous 
ores,  a  brown  hematite,  just  as  rich  in  metallic  iron,  is  found  be- 
tween the  North  Fork  and  the  South  Fork  mountains  for  the  entire 
length  of  the  county.  The  average  thickness  of  the  vein  is  16  feet. 
In  addition  to  these  two  very  valuable  deposits  of  ore,  there  are  also 
some  other  ores  found  in  various  parts  of  the  countv  which  are  of 
less  value  and  not  so  wide  spread  in  extent. 

Manganese.— For  a  distance  of  about  ten  miles  along  the  same 
valley  in  which  the  iron  ores  are  found,  there  is  a  verv  rich  vein  of 
manganese,  very  low  in  phosphorus.  It  is  easily  worked,  and  the 
deposit  should  prove  to  be  of  great  value. 

Stone,  Sand  and  Clay. -Very  fine  limestone  is  scattered  in  great 
abundance  throughout  the  county  and  for  fluxing  ores  might  be 
obtained  from  the  same  property  from  which  the  ore  was  obtained. 
Only  the  coal  or  coke  would  have  to  be  brought  into  the  county  to 
produce  iron  from  the  native  ores.  Limestone  for  building  purposes  is 
also  plentiful.  There  is  also  found  a  considerable  amount  of  crys- 
tallized limestone,  from  which  a  superior  quality  of  lime  may  be 
burned. 

Glass  sandstone,  from  which  a  pure,  white  glass  sand  is  crushed, 
IS  found  in  the  county  in  several  places  and  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent.   It  is  about  the  same  as  that  found  in  Morgan  county. 

Some  fire  and  potter's  clay  have  been  found  in  the  county  and 


212 


Pendleton  County. 


small  samples  of  them  have  been  successfully  worked.  There  are 
thought  to  be  great  quantities  of  them  in  the  county. 

Timber. — Aside  from  what  has  been  removed  to  make  a  little  land 
available  for  farming  purposes,  the  timber  is  practically  all  stand- 
ing yet.  Probably  four-fifths  of  the  county  is  still  in  timber,  which 
is  very  fine  and  embraces  many  different  varieties.  The  principal 
wood  is  oak,  the  different  varieties  of  which  compose  the  larger 
part  of  the  forests.  Other  kinds  are  chestnut,  maple,  hickory,  some 
walnut  and  a  little  pine.  There  is  but  a  comparatively  small  por- 
tion of  the  county  that  is  covered  with  pine,  and  that  has  been 
pretty  well  killed  by  the  pine  destroying  insect,  but  the  other  kinds 
of  timber  mentioned  abound  in  every  part  of  the  county.  The 
South  Branch  and  its  forks  are  not  navigable,  but  in  times  of  high 
water  they  may  be  used  for  drifting  logs  to  market  and  afford  the 
only  means  of  transportation  at  present  available  for  getting  them 
out.  There  is  an  almost  inexhaustible  quantity  of  tanbark  in  the 
county.  Thousands  of  acres  are  covered  with  tanbark-producing 
oak  trees  and  there  is  enough  tanbark  alone  standing  in  the  forests 
of  Pendleton  county  to  pay  the  entire  cost  of  constructing  a  rail- 
road from  one  end  of  the  county  to  the  other. 

Agricultural. — With  so  great  a  part  of  the  county  still  covered 
with  forests  there  has  been  but  little  opportunity  for  farming  to 
any  extent  in  Pendleton  county.  But  when  the  county  ip  once 
opened  up  and  the  immense  quantity  of  timber  that  covers  its  hills 
and  valleys  is  taken  out,  this  county  will  certainly  come  to  be  a 
great  grazing  and  stock  raising  one.  Already  a  good  many  cattle 
are  raised,  and  this  is  the  chief  line  on  which  farming  is  carried  on 
in  the  county.  Some  grain  is  grown  but  hardly  more  than  is  con- 
sumed at  home,  principally  in  fattening  the  cattle.  The  valleys  of 
the  streams  that  flow  through  the  county  are  fertile  and  in  some 
places  broad.  Here  farming  is  successfully  carried  on.  But  a  great 
part  of  the  county  is  unfitted  for  cultivation  On  every  part  of  it, 
however,  grass  will  grow  well  and  naturally,  and  stock  raising  will 
come  to  be  more  and  more  the  principal  line  of  farming.  Sheep  are 
raised  to  a  considerable  extent  and  are  profitable.  So  are  horses 
and  hogs.  In  short,  all  kinds  of  live  stock  do  well,  the  county 
being  specially  suited  to  them.    It  is  is  also  a  fir  e  country  for  fruit. 


Pocahontas  County. 


213 


POCAHONTAS  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Pocahontas  is  an  eastern  border 
county,  the  top  of  the  Alleghanies  being  the  dividing  line  between 
Pocahontas  and  the  State  of  Virginia.  It  lies  about  southeast  of 
the  center  of  the  State.  The  northern  portion  of  the  county  is  a 
part  of  that  high  region  in  which  the  waters  of  nearly  every  river 
of  the  two  Virginias  find  their  starting  points.  The  entire  county 
has  a  great  elevation,  some  of  the  highest  points  in  the  State  being 
within  the  county  lines.  Three  knobs  ranging  from  3,300  to  3,800 
leet  are  in  Pocahontas  county  or  partially  so.  Rising  in  the  high 
lands  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county  and  flowing  through  the 
central  portion  of  it  the  entire  length  is  the  Greenbrier  river.  In 
the  western  part  of  the  county  is  the  Williams  river,  which  emp- 
ties into  the  Gauley  in  Webster  county.  In  general  character  Poca- 
hontas is  very  similar  to  Grreenbrier  county,  which  joins  it  on  the 
south.  The  east  is  mountainous,  well  timbered  and  full  of  iron ; 
the  center  is  limestone  land,  well  cleared,  with  plenty  of  grass  and 
nearly  all  cultivated  or  in  grass ;  in  the  west  are  more  mountains, 
much  timber  and  some  coal.  The  western  portion,  along  with  that 
of  Greenbrier,  is  in  the  "Wilderness"  region,  which,  as  its  name  in- 
dicates, is  an  unbroken  wilderness.  The  level  parts  of  the  county, 
smaller  in  extent  than  those  of  Greenbrier,  are  elevated  plateaus 
from  2,000  to  2,500  feet  above  the  sea,  above  which  on  all  sides  rise 
mountains,  at  least  two  ranges  of  which  may  nearly  always  be  seen, 
one  beyond  the  other,  and  the  rivers  are  in  deep  gorges  cut  down 
far  below  the  level  of  the  plateaus.  Throughout  the  county  there 
is  an  abundance  of  pure,  fresh  water,  some  of  which  comes  from 
the  earth,  even  in  the  mid^t  of  summer,  at  a  temperature  little 
above  that  of  ice  water.  T^he  entire  county  seems  to  be  underlaid 
with  water  and  from  the  earth  and  mountain  sides  flow  great 
springs,  large  enough  to  run  a  water  mill.  At  one  place  the 
town  is  called  Mill  Point  on  account  of  the  number  of  flour  mills 
there,  each  run  by  its  own  particular  spring  of  never  ceasing  water. 
Great  streams  which  start  thus  from  a  hillside  frequently  disappear 
entirely,  only  to  suddeifly  appear  again  from  some  unexpected  open- 
ing in  the  earth.  In  some  parts  of  the  county  wild  game  is  plen- 
teous.   The  county  affords  the  most  beautiful  mountain  scenery 


214 


Pocahontas  County. 


imaginable,  has  pure  air  and  water  and  for  the  summer  months  par- 
ticularly no  more  delightful  place  could  be  found  to  live  in.  Mar- 
linton,  the  county  seat,  is  45  miles  over  an  excellent  turpike  from 
the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  railroad.  It  is  some  closer  to  the  West  Vir- 
ginia &  Pittsburg,  but  the  latter  is  not  so  accessible.  The  exten- 
sion of  it  through  the  county  is  contemplated  but  has  never  gone 
further  than  the  survey.  By  the  C.  &  0.  Marlinton  is  176  miles 
from  Charleston,  387  from  Cincinnati,  283  from  Richmond,  441 
from  Wheeling  and  692  from  Chicago. 

Coal. — Little  is  known  of  the  coals  of  Pocahontas,  no  develop- 
ments ever  having  been  made.  Some  investigations  have  been 
made  but  no  coal  has  ever  been  mined  for  use  either  at  home 
or  abroad.  A  large  area  in  the  western  part  of  the  county  is  under- 
laid with  the  New  River  seam  of  coking  coals,  in  veins  of  2  feet  and 
upwards,  reaching  in  one  instance,  it  is  said,  a  thickness  of  18  feet. 
The  coal  has  been  tested  and  proven  equal  to  the  best  New  river  coking 
coal,  which  has  given  to  the  New  river  region  in  Fayette  county  and 
the  Mercer  and  McDowell  fields  further  south  their  fame  as  coke 
producing  regions.  This  coal  is  about  the  closest  coking  coal  known 
to  the  iron  producing  region  of  Virginia  and  West  Virginia,  and 
railroad  transportation  and  the  development  of  the  coal  is  all  that  is 
needed  to  create  a  great  demand  for  it. 

Iron. — The  entire  portion  of  the  county  lying  east  of  the  Green- 
brier river  is  full  of  iron  ores,  from  one  end  of  the  county  to  the 
other.  The  ores  found  are  principally  the  brown  hematite  and  red 
fossiliferous,  the  latter  not  being  found  in  very  thick  veins  or  over 
a  great  extent.  Of  the  brown  hematites,  though,  there  is  an  almost 
inexhaustible  supply.  They  are  found  in  large  veins,  over  great 
areas  and  of  excellent  quality.  The  ores  are  of  the  same  character 
as  those  from  Monroe  and  Greenbrier  counties,  and  are  found  in 
continuations  of  the  same  veins  that  they  are  found  in. 

Marble  and  Limestone. — For  building  purposes  there  are  some 
beautiful  specimens  of  blue,  grey  and  fossil  limestone  in  this  county, 
the  latter,  in  particular,  very  pretty.  There  is  also  a  beautiful  grey 
sandstone,  valuable  for  building  purposes.  Limestone  for  burning 
and  fluxing  is  found  in  abundance  and  close  to  the  iron  deposits. 
In  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county,  near  the  Greenbrier  line 
some  very  pretty  black  marble  is  found,  and  in  the  same  mountains 


Pocahontas  County. 


215 


a  large  ledge  of  the  most  beautiful  white  marble  has  been  discov- 
ered. While  only  in  a  few  places  has  marble  been  found,  it  is  be- 
lieved that  the  mountains  contain  a  great  deal  of  it  and  that  the 
samples  so  far  seen  are  but  specimens  of  what  v*^ill  later  be  discov- 
ered. The  black  and  white  marbles  so  far  found  are  beautiful  spee- 
imens  and  very  valuable. 

Timber. — From  a  half  to  two-thirds  of  Pocahontas  county  is  still 
covered  with  timber,  and  no  greater  variety  or  finer  timber  grows  in 
any  county  in  the  State.  In  the  eastern  portion  of  the  county,  in 
the  high  altitudes  of  the  Alleghany  mountains,  grows  one  of  the 
largest  areas  of  white  pine  in  the  State.  The  amount  of  white  pine 
in  Pocahontas  and  Greenbrier  counties  has  been  estimated  at 
600,000,000  feet,  and  of  this  the  greater  part  is  in  Pocahontas.  Large 
inroads  have  been  made  in  this  timber  in  the  last  few  years,  but 
there  is  yet  an  enormous  quantity  standing.  The  logs  are  hauled 
to  the  Greenbrier  river  where  they  are  rafted  and  taken  out  on  the 
spring  rises  in  rafts  of  thousands  of  logs  at  a  time.  Lumber  camps 
where  hundreds  of  men  are  housed  and  fed  are  scattered  through 
the  mountains  in  the  east  of  the  county,  but  there  is  an  abundance 
of  timber  left.  In  the  high  altitudes  of  the  western  part  of  the 
county  grow'  great  forests  of  the  "yew  pine"  or  black  spruce  and 
cheny.  These  forests  are  principally  in  the  "wilderness"  country 
and  have  never  been  touched.  Besides  these  valuable  kinds  of  tim- 
ber, which  are  not  found  in  many  of  the  counties  of  the  State,  and 
not  in  very  great  quantities  in  any,  there  is  also  an  abundance  of 
timber  of  the  commoner  kinds.  The  oaks  are  found  in  greater 
quantities  than  any  other  kind,  followed  by  poplar,  chestnut  and 
the  common  forest  trees  in  great  abundance.  The  value  of  the 
standing  timber  of  all  kinds  in  Pocahontas  is  estimated  at  over 
$2,000,000. 

Agricultural. — East  of  the  Greenbrier  river  the  soil  is  not  so 
well  adapted  to  farming  as  it  is  west  of  the  river,  where  its  fertility 
is  seldom  surpassed.  Even  to  the  tops  of  the  mountains  in  the 
western  portion  the  soil  is  good  and  grains,  fruits  and  grasses  all 
grow  w^ell.  Many  of  the  mountain  sides  are  not  too  steep  to  culti- 
vate and  on  these  are  grown  good  crops  and  fine  pastures.  All  the 
cereals  produce  large  yields  and  wheat  and  corn  are  raised  in  abun- 
dance.   Many  mills  are  required  in  the  county  to  grind  the  pro- 


216 


Pocahontas  County. 


ducts  of  the  farms  for  home  consumption.  The  soil  and  climate 
are  well  suited  for  tobacco  culture  and  for  fruits.  The  former  is  not 
cultivated  to  any  considerable  extent  but  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
fine  fruit  raised.  In  the  limestone  soil  blue  grass  grows  spontane- 
ously and  over  a  large  part  of  the  county  may  be  found  blue  grass 
sods  of  as  luxuriant  growth  as  can  be  found  in  the  sown  fields  of 
Kentucky.  "Timothy,  clover  and  numerous  other  choice  varieties 
contest  the  right  of  the  blue  grass  to  the  field  ;  so  we  find  them 
growing  together,  each  trying  to  choke  out  the  others  and  to  climb 
high  enough  to  hide  all  the  rest."  This  blue-grass-producing  soil 
is  in  the  greater  part  of  the  county  and  there  is  but  a  small  part  of 
the  county  where  grasses  do  not  flourish.  Consequently  a  great 
many  cattle  and  sheep  are  raised.  Pocahontas  cattle  are  as  fine  and 
as  marketable  as  those  raised  in  any  part  of  the  State.  Sheep  are 
raised  in  large  numbers  and  command  as  high  prices  as  any  on 
the  market.  Buyers  from  other  States  come  to  this  county  after 
them  and  do  not  wait  for  them  to  be  sent  to  market.  Splendid 
blooded  horses  are  raised  and  few  counties  can  show  finer  live  stock 
of  any  kind  than  can  and  does  Pocahontas.  When  the  remaining 
half  or  more  of  the  county  is  cleared  the  opportunities  for  farming 
and  stock  raising  will  be  greatly  enlarged  and  Pocahontas  will  then 
rank  well  up  with  any  part  of  the  country  in  that  line. 

PRESTON  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character — Preston  county  is  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  State,  about  midway  between  the  two  panhandles.  On 
its  north  is  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  and  its  eastern  boundary  is 
the  western  boundary  of  the  State  of  Maryland.  From  the  south  to 
the  north  and  northwest,  dividing  the  county  into  two  almost 
equal  parts,  flows  the  Cheat  river  which  empties  into  the  Mononga- 
hel^  just  below  the  Pennsylvania  line.  It  is  not  navigable.  The 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad  passes  through  the  county  from  east  to 
west  slightly  south  of  the  centre,  and  from  Tunnelton,  a  station  on 
this  road,  the  Tunnelton,  King  wood  &  Fairchance  narrow  gauge 
railroad  runs  to  Kin'gwood,  the  count}^  seat,  a  distance  of  11  miles. 
The  distance  from  Kingwood  to  Martinsburg  is  171  miles,  to  Balti- 
more 285,  to  Wheeling  131,  to  Parkersburg  135,  to  Charleston  269, 
to  Cincinnati  330,  to  Chicago  598  miles.    Through  the  county  the 


Preston  County. 


217 


Briery  mountains  extend  from  south-west  to  north-east  and  at 
Rowlesburg  the  Cheat  river  breaks  through  them,  forming  some  of 
the  grandest  and  most  picturesque  scenery  to  be  found  in  the  State. 
Principally  mountainous,  the  county  is  all  high,  the  elevations  of 
the  B.  &  0.  railroad  from  west  to  east  in  this  county  ranging  from 
1,157  to  2,550  feet  above  sea  level.  Above  these  elevations  rise  the 
mountain  ranges.  This  high  country  is  not  much  broken,  being 
hilly  and  level  over  a  large  part  of  the  county.  Some  of  the 
mountain  portions  of  the  county  are  too  rough  for  agricultural 
purposes  but  the  greater  part  of  it  is  well  suited  f6r  grazing  and 
farming.  The  climate  is  delightful,  the  air  in  summer  being  cool 
and  fresh,  by  reason  of  the  altitude,  and  attracting  every  summer 
hundreds  of  visitors. 

Coal. — Every  part  of  Preston  county  is  supplied  with  coal,  the 
part  west  of  the  river  in  more  abundance  than  the  rest.  The  work- 
able veins  are  five  in  number  ranging  from  3  to  12  feet  in  thickness. 
Veins  of  coal  are  worked  in  every  part  of  the  county  for  local  use 
and  in  five  places  for  market.  The  principal  coals  found  belong  to 
the  Upper  Freeport  and  Lower  Kittanning  measures  and  are  of  ex- 
cellent quality.  All  the  coal  is  good  gas,  steam  and  coking  coal 
and  at  every  mine  in  the  county  coke  is  made.  The  coke  from 
tliese  ovens  has  become  quite  well  known  in  the  markets  and  holds 
an  excellent  reputation.  There  are  large  fields  of  the  same  kind 
of  coals  from  which  this  is  produced,  in  all  parts  of  the  county, 
awaiting  development.  The  coal  is  all  in  workable  veins  above 
water  level  and  may  be  easily  mined.  There  is  also  some  cannel 
coal  in  the  county,  but  it  has  never  been  worked.  It  is  said  to 
reach  a  thickness  of  several  feet.  From  the  leports  of  the  State 
Mine  Inspectors  it  is  seen  that  the  coal  output  of  Preston  county 
for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1891,  was  134,467  tons,  and  of  coke 
60,541  tons.  There  were  255  ovens  in  blast  and  50  more  building. 
For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1892,  the  output  of  coal  was  82,089 
tons,  of  coke  19,773  tons.  The  number  of  coke  ovens  in  blast  was  139. 

Iron. — Iron  ore  in  paying  quantities  is  found  in  every  part  of  the 
county,  and  numerous  furnaces  have  at  different  times  been  in  op- 
eration, but  most  of  them,  for  want  of  transportation  facilities  have 
had  to  be  abandoned.  One  located  near  the  B.  &.  0.  railroad,  and 
connected  with  it  by  a  short  standard  gauge  road,  has  done  well, 


218 


Preston  County. 


and  though  shutdown  for  sonie  time,  the  news  has  recently  come 
that  work  is  to  he  coniuienced  again  in  the  spring.  The  veins  of 
ore  which  have  heen  opened  in  every  portion  of  the  county  range 
in  thickness  from  a  few  inches  up  to  10  feet,  most  of  them  heing 
between  3  and  10  feet.  The  ore  yields  from  35  to  50  per  cent,  of 
metallic  iron  and  some  of  the  ores  are  of  limestone  character  so  that 
other  ores  more  siliceous  may  he  worked  with  them  without  the 
addition  of  limestone.  For  the  ores  that  require  fluxing  the  lime- 
stone is  found  upon  the  same  property  that  produces  the  ore  and 
coal.  The  ore,  coal  and  limestone  are  found  and  the  coke  made 
upon  the  furnace  property,  without  going  away  from  it  for  anything 
required  to  make  iron.  Ores  have  also  been  mined  and  ship})ed  to 
furnaces  outside  the  State,  where  they  have  been  successfully 
worked.  There  are  numerous  places  in  the  county  where  the  iron 
has  never  been  touched  and  which  will  undoubtedly  yield  well 
when  developed 

Limestone. — Near  Rowlesburg,  along  the  railroad,  a  vein  of  re- 
markbly  pure  limestone  has  been  found,  which  is  about  as  fine  a 
quality  as  is  ever  seen:  The  vein  is  about  2  feet  thick  and  has  been 
traced  for  10  miles.  How  much  farther  it  goes  is  not  known.  The 
stone  is  99.8  per  cent,  calcium  and  when  burned  to  make  lime  leaves 
almost  no  waste  at  all.  It  makes  a  superior  quality  of  hydraulic 
cement  and  the  only  reason  it  has  not  been  utilized  for  this  pur- 
pose is  that  no  company  has  yet  been  willing  to  pay  the  salary  de- 
manded by  the  few  men  in  this  country  who  understand  the  manu- 
facture of  hydraulic  cement.  It  has  been  tested,  though,  and  makes 
a  very  superior  article  of  cement.  There  is  also  an  abundance  of 
fine  limestone  for  building  purposes,  in  ledges  as  high  as  a  hundred 
feet  thick,  in  nearly  every  part  of  the  county.  Some  sandstone  of 
excellent  color  and  (juality  for  building  purposes  is  found. 

Glass  Sand — A  sandstone  that  is  very  white  and  pure  is  found 
in  large  quantities,  suitable  for  glass  sand  but  has  never  been  (quar- 
ried to  any  extent  It  might  profitably  be  crushed  and  shipped,  or 
glass  works  operated  here  would  doubtless  prove  profitable. 

Fire  Ci- ay.— Shafts  and  railroad  cuts  have  demonstrated  the 
great  extent  of  the  fire  clays  of  Preston  county  and  actual  tests 
have  proven  their  value.  At  one  place  in  the  county  a  shaft  sunk 
into  the  earth  passed  through  44  feet  of  good  fire  clay.    At  other 


Pkeston  County.  219 

places  veins  of  several  feet  in  thickness  have  ])een  cut  into  by  railroads 
or  in  other  digging.  These  clays  are  equal  to  the  well  known  Mt. 
Savage  clays.  None  of  them  have  ever  been  worked  but  being 
of  good  quality  and  existing  in  large  and  accessible  beds  the  man- 
ufacture of  brick  and  tiling  might  be  made  a  profitable  business. 
Potter's  clay  is  also  found  in  considerable  (luantities. 

Oil  and  G-as.-  Some  years  ago  some  borings  were  made  for  oil 
but  no  great  depth  was  reached  and  no  oil  was  found  Since  then 
there  have  been  no  more  borings,  but  there  is  a  constant  issue  of 
natural  gas  from  a  creek  in  the  western  part  of  the  county  and  the 
supposition  is  that  there  is  both  gas  and  oil  in  the  County  in  good 
quantities. 

Timber.— Probably  three-fifths  of  Preston  county  is  still  covered 
with  timber,  of  which  the  principal  kinds  are  the  different  varieties 
of  oak.  The  oak  of  Preston  county  is  particularly  fine  and  many  ^ 
English  buyers  come  direct  to  Preston  county  to  buy  oak  on  ac- 
count of  the  superior  quality  of  the  timber  It  is  very  close  grained 
and  hard  and  commands  the  highest  market  price.  There  are  some 
tracts  of  hemlock  and  spruce  but  the  principal  woods  beside  the 
oaks  are  poplar,  chestnut,  hickory,  ash,  walnut,  cherry,  linden  and 
other  varieties.  The  Cheat  and  its  tributaries  afford  ample  means 
of  getting  timber  out  and  there  is  plenty  of  fuel  for  wood  manu- 
facturing enterprises.  Tfiere  are  thousands  of  dollars  represented 
in  the  standing  forests  of  Preston  county  which  await  the  cutting 
to  reward  the  men  who  cut  them. 

Agricultural.— Only  a  small  part  of  the  county  is  unfit  for 
farming  purposes.  Most  of  the  mountain  tops  are  level  and  many 
of  them  are  not  so  steep  that  they  may  not  be  cultivated  entirely  to 
the  tops.  The  soil  of  the  county  varies  considerablv  but  most  of 
it  is  rich  and  several  inches  deep.  The  principal  crop  raised  is 
buckwheat.  Corn,  oats  and  some  other  grains  are  raised,  but  Pres- 
ton pays  more  attention  to  buckwheat  than  to  any  other  crop  and 
the  yield  is  greater  than  that  of  any  other.  The  soil  and  climate 
are  well  suited  to  tobacco  and  considerable  of  that  is  grown.  But 
it  is  chiefly  as  a  grazing  county  that  Preston  is  known.  Cattle  and 
all  kinds  of  live  stock  are  raised  to  a  great  extent.  The  soil  pro- 
duces  splendid  crops  of  timothy  and  clover  and  pasturage  affords 
all  the  feeding  that  is  required  for  cattle  and  sheep.    The  abund- 


220 


Putnam  County. 


ance  of  good  pasture,  pure  water  and  good  air  causes  the  production 
of  the  best  of  beef  and  mutton.  Good  horses  are  also  bred.  The 
sheep  raising  industry  is  carried  on  to  such  an  extent  that  woolen 
mills  have  been  constructed  to  manufacture  the  wool  at  home.  The 
wool  is  of  very  good  quality.  Fruit  raising  is  an  important  branch 
of  agriculture  and  no  better  fruit  country  can  be  found  anywhere. 
Apples,  grapes,  pears  and  all  kinds  of  small  fruits  of  excellent  qual- 
ity are  produced. 

PUTNAM  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Putnam  county  lies  slightly  to  the 
northeast  of  the  westernmost  point  in  the  State,  not  far  from  the 
Ohio  river.  Flowing  in  a  northwesterly  direction  and  dividing  the 
county  into  almost  equal  parts  is  the  Great  Kanawha  river,  naviga- 
ble for  large  steamers  for  a  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth.  In  the 
eastern  part  of  the  county  for  a  short  distance  is  the  Pocataligo 
river,  which  empties  into  the  Kanawha.  Other  smaller  streams 
water  the  county,  those  in  the  northern  portion  flowing  into  the 
Kanawha,  in  the  southern  into  the  Guyandotte.  The  county  is 
principally  hilly  with  broad  bottom  lands  and  much  rolling  land 
back  from  the  rivers.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  county  the  hills 
have  become  mountainous  but  are  nowhere  much  broken.  The 
Kanawha  river,  iniproved  by  the  United  States  with  locks  and  dams, 
affords  slack  water  navigation  and  when  the  works  now  under  con- 
tract are  completed  steamboat  navigation  will  be  afforded  every  day 
in  the  year  regardless  of  the  stage  of  water.  Following  the  Kana- 
wha river  for  its  entire  length  is  the  Kanawha  &  Michigan  railway 
connecting  the  Kanawha  valley  with  Columbus,  0.,  and  the  great 
lakes  at  Toledo.  Through  the  southern  part  of  the  county  from 
east  to  west  is  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  railroad,  connecting  Louis- 
ville and  Cincinnati  with  the  seaboard.  From  Winfield,  the  county 
seat,  to  Charleston  is  25  miles,  to  Toledo  284,  to  Parkersburg  110, 
to  Wheeling  204,  to  Richmond  395,  to  Cincinnati  210,  to  Chicago 
515  miles. 

Coal.  — The  Pittsburg  vein  of  coal,  known  locally  as  the  Ray- 
mond City  vein,  underlies  the  entire  county  and  has  been  mined 
for  many  years  along  the  banks  of  the  Kanawha.  The  coal  is  a 
hard  splint,  unexcelled  for  shipping,  gas,  steam  and  fuel.  In  the 
entire  north-eastern  part  of  the  county  this  coal  is  found  above 


Putnam  County. 


221 


water  level  in  a  vein  averaging  6  feet  in  thickness.  The  coal  is  a 
very  valuable  one  and  holds  a  very  high  position  in  the  markets  of 
Cincinnati,  Chicago  and  the  west  generally.  South  of  the  Kana- 
wha the  same  coal  is  lower  and  has  been  found  in  boring  for  oil  five 
miles  from  the  river  at  a  depth  of  180  feet.  This  is  near  the 
southern  limit  of  this  Pittsburg  coal,  the  last  being  found  in  Wayne, 
where  it  runs  out  just  before  reaching  the  Kentucky  line.  There 
is  above  this  vein  another  one,  several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  de- 
velope  which  have  been  made  and  its  value  is  not  yet  determined. 
The  Raymond  coal  is  mined  to  a  considerable  extent  and  shipped 
by  river  and  rail.  The  reports  of  the  State  Mine  Inspectors  show 
that  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1891,  there  were  four  mines 
operated  in  Putnam  county,  employing  in  all  424  men  and  produc- 
ing annually  156,856  tons  of  coal.  For  the  year  ending  June  30, 
1892,  the  same  mines  employing  503  men  produced  154,692  tons  of 
coal. 

Oil. — Oil  has  been  bored  for  on  several  different  occasions  in  Put- 
nam county  and  none  has  been  found,  still  the  territory  has  never 
been  properly  developed.    In  Jackson  county  near  the  Putnam 
county  line  a  well  was  bored  which  flowed  several  barrels  a  day  but 
it  was  cased  off  to  bore  to  a  deeper  sand  when  the  well  was  aban- 
doned unfinished.    In  Putnam  indications  of  oil  have  been  found 
but  none  of  the  wells  hitherto  bored  have  been  carried  down  to  the 
best  oil  sand.    They  have  been  abandoned  before  reaching  the  best 
sand.    It  is  very  probable  that  further  development  will  be  carried 
on  this  year  and  it  will  be  ascertained  definitely  whether  there  is 
any  oil  in  Putnam  or  not.    Natural  gas  has  been  found  in  several 
places  in  the  county. 

Fire  Clay — Good  fire  clay  in  large  deposits  has  been  found  in 
Putnam.  A  thick  bed  of  clay  near  the  county  seat  was  opened  and 
the  samples  sent  for  analysis  and  practical  tests  of  its  usefulness 
showed  it  to  be  equal  to  the  best  found  in  the  State.  Beneath  the 
coal  vein  is  a  smaller  vein  of  good  fire  clay.  No  developments  of 
the  clay  have  ever  been  made. 

Timber.— Easily  accessible  by  river  and  rail  Putnam  has  been 
stripped  of  most  of  its  timber.  Magnificent  oak  timber  grew  here 
in  great  plenty  and  there  is  some  left  yet,  as  fine  as  is  often  seen, 
but  the  greater  part  is  gone,  not  over  an  eighth  of  the  county  re- 


222 


Putnam  County. 


maining  in  good  timlx^r.  A  considerably  larger  part  of  the  county 
is  covered  with  woods,  some  of  which  are  suitable  for  staves  and 
other  small  timber  but  not  for  saw  tiiaber.  Tanbark  may  be  found 
in  abundance  and  there  is  a  great  deal  of  good  hickory,  some  poplar, 
a  little  pine  and  other  kinds  of  timber.  South  of  the  Kanawha 
more  of  the  timber  has  been  removed  than  north  of  it  where 
there  is  a  good  deal  left  but  this  has  begun  to  be  cut. 

Agricultural. — Farming  is  the  principal  occupation  of  the  peo- 
ple of  Putnam.  The  hills,  when  cleared  of  their  timber,  make  ex- 
cellent pasture  lands,  the  grass  grows  well  and  cattle  flourish.  The 
broad  Kanawha  river  bottoms  make  splendid  farms.  Broad,  level, 
rich  and  productive  they  make  the  finest  kind  of  farms  and  produce 
magnificent  crops.  Corn  and  wheat  are  the  chief  crops  now  raised. 
The  land  is  well  adapted  to  garden  stuffs,  and  the  railroads  and 
rivers  put  them  in  easy  reach  of  markets.  The  hill  lands  are  well 
adapted  to  tobacco,  and  some  very  fine  light  leaves  are  raised.  Put- 
nam stands  along  with  Lincoln  as  a  tobacco  growing  county,  pro- 
ducing, perhaps  not  so  much,  but  just  as  fine  a  quality  of  tobacco 
as  does  Lincoln.  Across  the  county  from  the  Kanawha  to  tjie 
waters  of  Mud  and  Guyandotte  rivers  is  the  fertile  Teays'  valley, 
through  which  the  C.  &  0.  railroad  takes  its  course,  and  which  is 
supposed  at  one  time  to  have  been  the  course  of  the  Kanawha 
river,  which  then  would  have  joined  the  Ohio  at  what  is  now  Hunt- 
ington. This  valley  is  low  and  level.  It  is  fertile  throughout  and 
enclosed  between  rich,  rolling  lands  or  hills.  This  and  the  Ka- 
nawha bottom  lands  are  the  best  in  the  county  for  farms. 

RALEIGH  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Midway  oftheState  from  east  to  west 
and  but  little  north  of  the  most  southern  point  is  Raleigh  county. 
The  county  is  principally  mountainous,  the  Guyandotte  mountains 
on  the  south  being  among  the  highest  'mountains  in  the  State. 
Their  height  is  estimated  at  4,000  feet.  Several  mountain  ranges 
pass  through  or  outline  the  county.  But  most  of  them  are  the  Flat 
Top  mountains  and  while  the  elevation  of  the  county  is  high  it  is 
not  broken  and  the  surface  is  principally  level  or  rolling,  with  only 
occasional  ranges  rising  above  the  general  level.  The  streams  are 
cut  deep  down  in  the  earth  and  the  most  broken  parts  of  the  county 


Kaleigh  County. 


223 


are  their  steep  sides  which  broaden  out  at  the  top  into  great  pla- 
teaus. Along  the  northeastern  boundary  for  a  short  distance  flows 
the  New  river,  separating  this  county  from  Fayette  and  Summers. 
In  the  eastern  portion  the  streams  flow  northward  and  empty  into 
New  river.  Piney  and  Glade  creeks  are  the  principal  waters  in  this 
l>art  of  the  county.  In  the  western  part  rising  near  the  center  of 
the  county  ai:^d  flowing  in  a  northwest  direction  is  Big  Coal  river, 
small  of  course  in  this  county.  Along  this  river  are  the  "Coal 
River  Marshes,"  a  section  of  high,  level,  marshy  country,  similar  to 
the  "glades"  of  Webster  county.  Along  Glade  creek  some  of  the 
same  kind  of  land  is  seen.  The  glades  are  too  wet  to  be  of  value 
for  agricultural  purposes.  Drainage  and  cultivation  might  make 
splendid  land  of  them  but  at  present  they  are  not  considered  valu- 
able. Along  the  northern  bank  of  New  river,  just  outsid^  the 
county,  for  over  20  miles,  runs  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  railroad. 
From  Raleigh  Court  House  to  the  nearest  railroad  point  is  12  miles, 
to  Charleston  86,  to  Richmond  307,  to  Wheeling  351,  to  Cincinnati 
297,  to  Chicago  602.  The  county  is  in  a  primitive  condition,  the 
greater  part  of  it  at  least,  and  awaits  development.  It  will  some 
day  be  one  of  the  best  counties  in  many  respects  in  the  State. 

Coal. — The  county  is  practically  covered  with  coal.  It  is  the 
Flat  Top  coking  coal  and  the  measures  are  about  1,800  feet  thick. 
There  are  several  veins  in  the  measures  but  only  three  are  workable. 
One  is  6,  one  5  and  one  4  feet  thick  and  the  others  are  smaller. 
Tests  have  been  made  over  some  eighty  square  miles  and  show 
every  where  the  same  veins.  Along  the  line  of  Summers  and 
Mercer  counties  they  disappear  over  the  mountain  tops,  while  in 
the  western  part  of  the  county  they  disappear  under  the  Fayette 
county  line  and  a  new  series,  the  Kanawha  coals,  come  in.  But 
little  of  the  Raleigh  coal  has  ever  been  mined  for  market  but  there 
is  a  tremendous  amount  stowed  away  in  the  earth  in  workable 
veins,  which  will  be  mined  and  marketed  in  time.  Opposite  Prince 
station  on  the  C.  &  0.  railroad  one  mine,  the  only  one  in  Raleigh 
county,  is  operated.  Coal  mined  far  up  the  mountain  side  and  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river  frori^  the  railroad  is  swung  across  to 
the  cars  in  buckets,  holding  half  a  ton  apiece,  which  are  carried 
over  on  an  endless  rope  and  the  coal  is  lifted  and  swung  from  the 
mine  down  the  hill  and  across  the  river  and  there  dumped  into  t.\e 


224 


Ealeigh  County. 


railroad  car  all  at  one  operation.  Thirty-two  buckets  are  used  with 
a  carrying  capacity  of  about  400  tons  a  day.  The  coals  of  this 
county  are  all  good  coking  coals  as  well  as  suitable  for  gas  and 
steam. 

Timber. — As  much  as  seven  eighths  of  the  county  is  still  in  origi- 
nal forests.  Not  until  within  a  few  years  has  any  timbering  been 
done  and  never  has  there  been  but  little.  The  products  of  the 
farms  do  not  quite  support  the  people  and  the  difference  is  made  up 
by  dealing  in  timber.  Poplar  and  oak  are  the  principal  woods  in 
the  forests  of  Raleigh  county.  The  county  is  in  the  finest  timber 
country  in  the  State  and  some  of  it  is  very  good.  The  high,  rich 
lands  have  produced  splendid  trees  which  make  beautiful  logs  and 
abundant  timber.  The  poplars  are  large  and  the  oaks  are  too. 
Difficulty  of  access  is  all  that  has  kept  this  timber  from  being  util- 
ized before.  Along  Piney  creek  and  between  that  and  Glade 
creek  are  some  thirty  or  forty  thousand  acres  of  white  pine,  in  all 
perhaps  a  hundred  million  feet.  This  is  being  cut  a  little  but 
nearly  all  of  it  still  remains. 

Agricultural.— The  high,  level  sections  of  the  county  which 
compose  the  greater  part  of  it  are  good  for  farming  and  grazing  pur- 
poses, particularly  the  latter.  Very  little  farming  has  ever  been 
done  in  the  county  but  those  who  have  farmed  are  prosperous  and 
their  farms  produce  well.  Corn  is  the  principal  product  aside  from 
grass,  which  is  abundant.  Tobacco  grows  well  in  some  parts  and 
the  whole  county  is  well  adapted  to  its  culture.  For  fruits  the 
county  is  unexcelled,  and  some  fine  varieties  are  grown.  Grass 
grows  well  and  the  county  is  an  excellent  one  for  cattle  and  sheep. 

RANDOLPH  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — The  largest  county  in  the  State,  lies 
between  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  State  and  the  center.  With  a 
territory  larger  than  that  of  several  of  the  States  of  the  Union,  and 
almost  every  variety  of  soil  and  climate  and  natural  productions, 
Randolph  ofifers  a  wide  field  for  the  person  seeking  a  location  or 
place  of  investment.  The  county  is  just  to  the  west  of  the  main 
Alleghany  range  of  mountains  and  lies  principally  among  the  nu- 
merous smaller  ranges  that  lie  immediately  to  the  west  of  and  par- 
allel to  the  Alleghanies.    The  region  is  the  highest  in  the  State,  all 


Randolph  County. 


225 


the  rivers  in  the  State  having  their  sources  in  or  near  the  county. 
Half  a  dozen  mountain  ranges  run  parallel  through  the  county,  and 
between  them  are  as  many  streams,  uniting  below  to  form  the  Cheat 
and  Valley  rivers  which  flow  into  the  Monongahela  and  help  to 
form  the  great  Ohio  river.  The  eastern  or  mountainous  portion  of 
the  county  has  an  average  elevation  of  about  3,000  feet,  while  the 
western  part,  though  high,  is  much  lower.  Through  the  center  of 
the  county  passes  the  valley  drained  by  the  Tygart's  Valley  river. 
This  is  the  best  part  of  the  county  agriculturally  and  the  least  rugged. 
The  valley  is  some  40  miles  in  length  and  averages  a  mile  in  width. 
The  soil  is  fertile,  the  land  level,  surrounded  by  mountains,  the  cli- 
mate good  and  the  scenery  beautiful.  None  of  the  streams  that 
pass  through  the  county  are  large  enough  to  be  navigable  for  boats 
of  any  kind,  are  besides  too  swift  and  have  too  much  fall  to  make 
them  useful,  except  for  taking  out  timber,  for  which  purpose  they 
afford  splendid  facilities.  The  county,  though  settled  back  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  last  century,  has  remained  so  inaccessible  that  few 
people  have  settled  within  its  borders.  The  families  of  the  earliest 
settlers  still  remain  in  some  parts  of  the  county,  property  first  taken 
up  by  them  having  descended  from  father  to  son  for  many  years. 
The  difficulty  of  making  good  roads  over  the  many  mountain 
ranges,  and  the  distance  of  the  county  from  railroad  connections 
have  kept  it  in  a  wild  and  unsettled  condition  except  for  the  Tygart's 
Valley  region,  which  has  been  pretty  well  settled  and  is  prosperous. 
Recently  the  West  Virginia  Central  and  Pittsburg  railroad  has  been 
built  into  the  county  and  has  been  the  means  of  improving  and 
building  it  up  a  good  deal  already.  The  road  comes  from 
the  northern  part  of  the  State  where  it  has  connection  with  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  and  the  roads  in  Maryland,  passes 
southward  about  half  way  through  the  county  and  then  turning 
west  connects  with  a  branch  of  the  B.  &  O.  in  Barbour  county.  A 
branch  also  extends  from  Elkins,  where  the  road  turns  west,  to  Bev- 
erly, the  county  seat,  7  miles  south  of  Elkins.  By  this  road  the 
distance  from  Beverley  to  Martinsburg  is  207  miles,  to  Baltimore 
307,  to  Wheeling  167,  to  Parkersburg  171,  to  Charleston  306,  to  Cin- 
cinnati 360  and  to  Chicago  627  miles. 

Coal.— The  western  portion  of  the  county  is  full  ol  good  coal, 
belonging  to  the  "Lower"  measures.    The  same  coal  that  is  found 


226 


Randolph  County. 


in  Grant  and  Tucker  counties,  along  the  lower  part  of  the  West 
Virginia  Central^road,  are  also  found  in  this  county.    The  coal  is 
an  excellent  coking  coal  and  the  coke  made  along  the  line  of  this 
road  is  equal  to  the  best  made  in  the  State.    The  eastern  part  of  the 
county,  among  the  mountains,  possesses  no  coal,  but  in  the  western 
part  is  the  "Roaring  Creek"  vein,  which  is  known  to  be  22  feet  in 
thickness  and  is  said  by  some  to  be  even  thicker.    No  developments 
have  ever  been  made  of  the  coal  in  this  county.    The  value  of  it  is 
known  and  the  fact  that  there  is  a  great  deal  of  it  in  veins  of  tre- 
mendous size,  but  the  inaccessibility  has  hitherto  prevented  the 
mining  of  the  coal,  but  since  the  railroads  have  been  built  into  the 
vicinity  of  the  coal  lands,  plans  are  on  foot  for  the  development  of 
the  property,  and  soon  a  good  deal  of  coal  will  be  carried  out  of 
Randolph  county  over  the  W.  Va.  C.  &  P.  railroad.    The  coal  is  an 
excellent  coking  coal,  good  also  for  steam,  gas  and  fuel  and  the  tre- 
mendous quantities  of  the  coal  make  the  lands  on  which  it  is  to  be 
lound  extremely  valuable. 

Clay.— Good  fire  clay  is  found  in  the  county  in  considerable 
quantities,  but  none  of  it  has  ever  been  worked.  Some  ochre  has 
been  found  but  this  has  never  been  developed  either,  and  its  ex- 
tent is  not  known,  nor  its  value. 

Timber. — Probably  the  largest  area  of  timber  in  any  one  county  of 
the  State  is  standing  in  the  county  of  Randolph.  On  account  of  the 
excellent  quality  of  the  timber,  the  vast  quantities  of  it  and  the  ease 
with  which  it  may  be  gotten  to  market,  there  has  been  a  great  deal 
of  it  taken  out,  but  there  is  still  standing  over  hundreds  of  square 
miles  of  the  county  the  finest  of  timber  untouched  by  the  woods- 
man. In  the  higher  parts  of  the  county  the  pines,  hemlock  and 
cherry  grow  in  great  quantities.  The  oaks  and  maple,  beech,  ash, 
poplar  and  other  varieties  of  valuable  timber  are  found  throughout 
the  county.  Large  forces  of  men  are  at  work  in  the  mountains  of 
Randolph,  clearing  the  forests  of  their  timber,  but  with  the  im- 
mense territory  in  the  county  which  is  still  covered  with  timber, 
the  amount  taken  out  is  scarcely  missed,  so  much  more  is  left. 
Though  settled  for  over  a  hundred  years,  fully  half  the  county  is 
still  in  the  original  forest.  Many  rare  varieties  of  timber  are  found 
in  Randolph  county,  but  the  kinds  mentioned  above  are  the  princi- 
pal ones  in  the  county. 


Randolph  County. 


227 


Agricultural. — Broken  as  is  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  with 
mountain  ranges,  it  is  scarcely  suited  for  larming  purposes.  The 
timber  taken  off,  though,  the  hills  afford  good  pasture  land  and 
grass  grows  in  profusion.  In  the  western  part  of  the  county,  par- 
ticularly in  the  valley  of  the  Tygarts  Valley  river,  there  is  some  of 
the  finest  farming  land  in  the  State.  The  bottoms  are  broad  and 
fertile  and  produce  enormous  yields  of  corn  and  .other  crops. 
Many  of  the  hills  of  the  county  are  not  so  steep  but  that  they  may 
easily  be  cultivated  and  on  them  such  crops  as  require  a  high  eleva- 
tion and  cool  climate  grow  well.  At  the  head  of  Valley  river,  is  a 
particularly  fine  portion  of  the  county,  known  as  the  Mingo  Flats. 
The  land  in  this  vicinity  is  very  fertile,  the  surroundings  and  climate 
all  that  could  be  desired  to  make  a  pleasant  dwelling  place  and  some 
of  the  best  people  of  the  county  reside  there. 

Game. — The  great  portion  of  the  county  which  is  still  in  the 
original  state  is  filled  with  game  of  all  kinds  and  in  the  mountains, 
far  from  the  railroad  or  settlements  of  any  kind,  a  sportsman's 
club  has  built  a  handsome  club  house.  A  large  game  preserve  has 
been  purchased  and  members  of  the  club  who  care  to  spend  a  por- 
tion of  every  year  in  the  mountains  seeking  rest  and  recreation 
come  here  and  hunt  and  fish  to  their  hearts'  content.  Game  of  all 
kinds,  deer,  bear  and  the  smaller  animals  are  plentiful  and  trout  are 
caught  by  the  hundred. 

RITCHIE  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Ritchie  county  is  north-west  of  the 
center  of  the  State,  slightly  east  of  the  western  boundary.  Through 
the  county  flow  both  the  North  and  the  South  Fork  of  Hughes' 
river,  a  tributary  of  the  Little  Kanawha.  These  streams,  with  the 
waters  that  flow  into  them,  water  the  county  well.  The  county  is 
hilly,  some  of  them  quite  high,  but  not  steep,  and  the  general  char- 
acter is  that  of  a  rolling  county,  with  gently  sloping  hills,  suitable 
for  cultivation  to  their  tops.  Through  the  county  from  east  to 
west,  a  distance  of  some  forty  miles,  runs  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
railroad.  Harrisville,  the  county  seat,  is  nine  miles  off  this  rail- 
road, with  which  it  is  connected  by  the  Pennsboro  &  Harrisville 
narrow  gauge  railroad.  The  distance  from  Harrisville  to  Parkers- 
burg  is  51  miles,  to  Martinsburg  251,  to  Baltimore  365,  to  Charleston 


228 


Ritchie  County. 


185,  to  Wheeling  145,  to  Cincinnati  246,  to  Chicago  612.  The 
county  is  traversed  by  numerous  good  roads  and  the  Cairo  and  Lit- 
tle Kanawha  Valley  narrow  gauge  railroad  extends  from  Cairo,  on 
the  B.  &  0.,  for  a  distance  of  16  miles  toward  the  Little  Kanawha 
valley,  which  is  the  point  it  expects  to  reach  some  day. 

Coal. — In  nearly  every  part  of  the  county  coal  is  found,  but  only 
in  small  veins,  very  few  of  which  are  large  enough  to  be  worked. 
The  thickest  of  them  are  about  three  feet  in  thickness,  and  no  coal 
has  ever  been  mined  in  the  county  save  for  local  use.  These  are 
the  surface  coals.  Underneath  the  surface  there  is  an  abundance  of 
good  coal.  In  boring  for  oil  a  7  foot  vein  of  good  soft  coal  was 
found  at  a  depth  of  150  feet,  and  an  1 1  foot  vein  at  a  depth  of  200 
feet.  These  are  the  Pittsburg  coals,  good  for  steam,  gas  and  coking, 
and  their  existence  under  the  entire  county  in  such  thicknesses 
means  an  enormous  amount  of  coal  in  the  county,  available  with 
little  difficulty.  In  England  coal  shafts  are  made  a  thousand  feet 
deep  and  other  shafts  are  made  hundreds  of  feet  in  depth,  so  that  a 
shaft  of  from  150  to  200  feet  would  be  a  small  matter  when  from  15 
to  20  leet  of  the  best  kind  of  coal  is  to  be  secured.  An  enormous 
amount  of  coal  will  certainly  be  produced  in  Ritchie  county. 

Oil  and  Gas. — At  different  times  more  than  a  thousand  wells 
have  been  bored  for  oil  in  Ritchie  county,  and  never  more  than  a 
very  few — a  dozen  at  most—- have  been  entirely  dry.  During  the 
early  oil  excitement,  back  in  the  sixties  and  seventies,  there  was  a 
great  deal  of  oil  produced.  At  that  time  the  shallow  wells  were 
productive.  Later,  wells  have  been  sunk  as  far  as  the  "Big  Injun" 
sand,  and  considerable  oil  has  been  produced  from  this.  But  no 
wells  have  been  sunk  as  deep  as  the  Gordon  sand,  the  most  produc- 
tive sand  yet  struck.  About  a  half  of  the  rich  and  productive  oil 
field  lying  along  the  Wood  and  Ritchie  county  line,  known  as  the 
Volcano  field,  is  in  Ritchie,  though  usually  credited  to  Wood  be- 
cause Volcano,  the  town  from  which  it  is  named,  is  in  Wood  county. 
Natural  gas  is  abundant,  the  county  seat  is  lighted  and  heated  with 
it  and  it  may  be  obtained  in  enormous  quantities. 

Fire  Clay. — A  vein  of  excellent  fire  clay,  about  18  inches  thick, 
is  found  over  a  large  area  near  the  county  seat.  Samples  of  it  have 
been  tested,  and  it  is  proven  to  be  of  good  quality  for  making  brick, 
tiling,  etc.    There  is  probably  clay  in  other  parts  of  the  county. 


Ritchie  County. 


229 


Marble. — A  fine  vein  of  marble,  about  5  feet  thick  has  been 
found,  which  seems  to  be  of  superior  quality.  It  is  brown,  colored 
with  gray,  dark  and  bright  colors  of  many  shades.  The  vein  has 
never  been  found  except  in  one  small  locality.  It  is  fine  grained 
and  takes  an  excellent  polish. 

Timber. — Probably  a  third  of  the  timber  of  the  county  is  still 
standing.  The  poplar  is  more  nearly  exhausted  than  any  other 
kind  of  timber  and  not  much  over  an  eighth  of  the  poplar  is  left. 
The  other  timbers  are  principally  oaks,  with  some  walnut,  ash, 
chestnut,  maple,  birch,  beech  and  a  little  pine.  This  timber  is  all 
of  excellent  quality  and  is  being  rapidly  removed.  In  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  county  is  where  the  greater  part  now  stands. 

Agricultural. — The  soil  of  Ritchie  county  is  very  rich  and  well 
suited  to  all  agricultural  purposes.  Red  clay  soils  predominate  on 
the  hills,  a  rich  black  loam  in  the  bottoms.  The  entire  county  is  well 
watered  by  the  numerous  streams  that  flow  through  it.  Grains  and 
grasses  grow  in  great  quantities.  Grains  are  raised  in  the  lower 
lands  and  yield  well.  Corn  is  the  principal  crop.  Some  wheat  is 
raised  and  fruit  is  abundant.  The  hills  and  higher  ground  are  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  fruits  and  much  fruit  is  raised.  On  the  hills, 
and  in  the  valleys  too,  grass  grows  luxuriantly.  Much  attention  is 
given  to  stock  raising.  Cattle,  sheep  and  horses  are  raised.  The 
pasture  of  this  county  is  unsurpassed  and  lasts  the  greater  part  of 
the  year,  and  stock  of  all  kinds  does  well.  Numbers  of  cattle  and 
sheep  are  grown  and  special  attention  is  being  paid  to  horse  breed- 
ing. Clydesdale  and  Norman  draft  horses  and  some  racers  are  bred. 
The  grazing  interests  are  the  principal  ones  of  the  county. 

ROANE  COUNTY. 

Location  AND  Character. —Roane  county  lies  midway  between 
the  center  of  the  State  and  its  western  boundary.  Its  surface  is 
hilly  and  rolling,  not  mountainous  nor  high,  save  in  the  southern 
portion,  where  the  hills  attain  some  height,  and  is  undiversified  in 
character.  It  has  no  mountains  and  no  streams  of  any  size.  In 
the  northern  part  of  the  county  the  waters  flow  northward,  and  into 
the  Little  Kanawha  river.  In  the  south  they  flow  southward  to- 
ward the  Elk  and  Great  Kanawha  rivers.  In  the  southern  part  the 
headwaters  of  Poca  river  are  large  enough  to  float  out  logs  on  when 


230 


Roane  County. 


there  is  a  rise.  From  the  northwest  the  Ravenswood,  Spencer  and 
Glenville  railroad  extends  into  the  county  as  far  as  Spencer,  the 
county  seat,  connecting  that  town  with  the  Ohio  river  and  the  Ohio 
River  railroad  at  Ravenswood.  This  distance  is  33  miles,  and  makes 
the  distance  from  Spencer  to  Parkersburg  68  miles,  to  Huntington 
119,  to  Charleston  135,  to  Wheelin^c  162,  to  Baltimore  466,  to  Cin- 
cinnati 280,  to  Chicago  585. 

Coal. — No  coal  has  ever  been  mined  in  Roane  county,  except  for 
local  use,  though  it  is  found  over  all  the  county  above  water  level. 
In  most  of  the  county  the  veins  are  small,  not  exceeding  2  or  3  feet, 
but  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county  they  run  up  to  8  or  10 
feet  in  thickness.  These  veins  are  of  the  Pittsburg  coking  coals, 
which  extend  into  the  county  from  the  Clay  county  field.  The 
coal  makes  excellent  coke,  is  easily  mined  and  might,  with  proper 
means  of  transportation,  become  a  source  of  great  revenue  to  the 
county. 

Timber. — About  half  the  county  is  still  well  covered  with  timber. 
A  large  part  of  the  poplar  timber  has  been  removed,  but  other  tim- 
ber remains  over  a  greater  part  of  the  county,  nearly  all  the  oak  is 
still  standing  and  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county  no  timber  at 
all  has  been  taken  off.  The  timber  of  Roane  is  very  fine,  and  com- 
mands first  class  prices  in  all  the  markets  where  it  is  found.  The 
principal  varieties  found  in  the  county  are  oak,  poplar,  ash,  walnut 
sycamore,  maple,  beech,  pine,  chestnut  and  hickory.  Some  other 
varieties  are  found  in  greater  or  smaller  quantities.  There  is  a  great 
deal  of  timber  suitable  for  ties,  and  the  streams  that  are  not  large 
enough  for  logs  will  carry  out  ties.  There  are  also  vast  quantities 
of  tanbark  in  the  county. 

Oil.  —  It  is  thought,  upon  the  basis  of  surveys  and  calculations 
made,  that  Roane  count}^  lies  in  the  Little  Kanawha  oil  field,  but 
no  search  has  ever  been  made  for  oil  and  there  is  not  known  to  be 
any  in  the  county. 

Iron. — Iron  ores  exist  in  small  quantities  in  this  county  but  no 
attempts  have  ever  been  made  to  ascertain  their  value.  There  is 
also  some  limestone,  found  along  with  the  iron. 

Stone. — There  are  large  ledges  of  valuable  building  sandstone. 
A  beautiful  grey  sandstone,  which  is  easily  worked,  susceptible  of  a 
high  polish  and  durable,  is  found  in  inexhaustible  quantities  and 


Roane  County. 


231 


has  been  used  to  some  extent  in  the  county.  A  good  deal  of  this 
stone  was  used  in  the  construction  of  the  buildings  for  the  Second 
Hospital  for  the  Insane  at  Spencer.  Clay  for  the  manufacture  of 
building  brick  is  found  in  abundance  and  the  brick  made  from  it 
are  pronounced  by  experienced  workmen  to  be  of  very  fine  quality. 

Agricultural  — The  soil  of  Roane  county  in  every  portion  is 
good,  and  its  rolling  character,  with  broad  valleys  and  gently  slop- 
ing hills,  affords  available  farm  property  in  about  the  entire  county. 
The  northern  and  western  portions  are  those  in  which  farming  is 
most  extensively  carried  on  at  present,  the  other  parts  being  m6re 
in  timber.  Corn  and  wheat  are  grown,  principally  in  the  bottom 
lands,  the  corn  yielding  better  and  being  the  principal  crop.  The 
county  is  particularly  adapted  to  grazing.  Blue  grass  grows  spon- 
taneously in  the  uplands  and  covers  the  hills  with  magnificent  pas- 
turage. In  the  lower  parts  timothy  grows  very  heavy  and  makes 
excellent  hay  and  a  great  deal  of  it.  Clover  grows  well  in  all  parts 
of  the  county.  Naturally,  where  so  much  pasturage  exists,  cattle 
thr.ive  and  many  of  them  are  raised,  as  many,  it  is  said,  as  in  any 
other  county  in  West  Virginia.  Very  fine  stock  is  grown  and  this 
is  the  principal  occupation  of  the  people.  Sheep  are  also  raised  in 
great  numbers  and  prove  very  profitable.  Hogs  receive  their  share 
of  attention  and  much  good  pork  goes  out  of  Roane  every  winter. 
Good  Iruit  is  raised  in  all  parts  of  the  county,  the  hills  being  well 
suited  to  its  culture.  Fruits,  poultry,  butter  and  eggs,  live  stock 
and  the  timber  products  are  the  principal  sources  of  revenue  to  the 
county  and  are  all  sent  out  in  considerable  quantities. 

SUMMERS  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Summers  is  one  of  the  most  south- 
ern counties  in  the  State.  It  is  south  of  the  center,  north-east  of 
the  southernmost  point,  and  not  far  from  the  south-eastern  boun- 
dary, the  southern  point  barely  touching  the  boundary  of  Virginia. 
Through  the  centre  of  the  county  from  east  to  west  flows  the  Green- 
brier river,  along  the  bank  of  which  runs  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
railroad.  From  the  south  the  New  river  enters  the  county,  uniting 
with  the  Greenbrier  at  Hinton,  on  the  western  border.  From  the 
south-west  the  Bluestone  river  enteis  the  county  and  empties  into 
the  New  river  above  Hinton.    None  of  these  rivers  is  navigable.  At 


232 


Summers  County. 


one  time  a  steamboat  was  built  for  the  New  river  trade  above  Hin- 
ton  and  it  was  run  for  a  short  time,  but  the  water  was  found  to  be 
insufficient  and  the  boat  was  abandoned.  The  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
railroad  is  now  the  only  means  of  communication  which  the  county 
has  with  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  by  this  the  distances  from  Hin- 
ton,  the  county  seat,  are:  to  Richmond  272  miles,  to  Charleston  97, 
to  Parkersburg  232,  to  Wheeling  326,  to  Cincinnati  308,  and  to 
Chicago  613.  The  county  is  principally  rough.  The  hills  are  high, 
and  in  places  steep  and  rugged.  The  rivers  cut  deep  into  the  bases 
of  the  hills  and  make  the  mountain  sides  along  them  steep  and 
rough.  Back  from  the  rivers,  though,  the  mountains  flatten  out 
and  b,ecome  much  less  rough,  and  in  places  spread  out  into  good 
farming  country. 

Coal.— Summers  is  not  a  good  coal  county.  Into  the  western 
portion  the  New  River  coal  extends  and  in  the  southern  part  the 
Flat  Top  coal  is  found,  but  it  is  only  in  a  small  part  of  the  county 
that  any  coal  is  found,  and  then  only  along  the  edges  of  fields  that 
are  worked  elsewhere.  However,  there  is  good  workable  coal  in  the 
county,  and  the  only  trouble  is  that  there  is  not  enough  of  it. 

Iron. — Iron  ores  are  found  scattered  over  nearly  all  the  county, 
but  no  developments  have  ever  been  made,  and  the  value  or  extent 
of  them  is  unknown.  Surface  samples  may  be  picked  up  almost 
anywhere  and  there  are  some  apparently  valuable  samples  too.  Iron 
ore  in  Raleigh  county  analyzes  55  per  cent,  of  metallic  iron  and  the 
Summers  county  ore  is  probably  very  similar  to  this. 

Fire  Clay. — This  and  potter's  clay  are  abundant  in  the  county 
and  of  good  quality.  Among  the  beds  of  clay  now  known  to  exist 
have  been  found  relics  of  prehistoric  races — broken  pottery,  etc. — 
showing  that  before  the  discovery  ot  America  by  Columbus,  the 
value  of  these  clays  was  known,  and  they  were  put  to  practical  test 
in  the  making  of  utensils  of  every  day  use  in  the  wigwam.  And 
now,  after  a  lapse  of  more  than  four  hundred  years,  the  clay  is  still 
here  and  our  people,  so  many  years  behind  these  prehistoric  races, 
are  just  beginning  to  learn  of  their  value.  The  deposits  are  large 
and  the  clay  excellent  for  all  the  purposes  for  which  it  may  be  used. 

Building  Stone. — In  that  entire  portion  of  the  county  north  of 
the  Greenbrier  river  and  the  New  river  below  the  mouth  of  the 
Greenbrier — about  half  the  county — several  seams  of  a  most  beau- 


Summers  County, 


233 


tiful  brown  sandstone  are  found.  This  is  a  splendid  building  stone 
of  a  beautiful  color,  and  has  already  given  the  county  a  wide  spread 
reputation.  It  is  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  country  from  the  several 
quarries  that  have  already  been  opened  up,  and  may  be  seen  in 
some  of  the  handsomest  buildings  in  most  of  the  larger  cities.  Some 
of  the  same  stone  is  also  found  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county, 
but  not  so  much  as  there  is  in  the  northern  part.  There  is  also  a 
red  stone,  similar  to  the  brown  except  in  color,  but  there  is  not  so 
much  of  it  as  of  the  brt)wn.  Large  ledges  of  white  and  grey  sand- 
stone are  also  found.  In  the  western  part  of  the  county  is  a  very 
•  fine  sandstone  valuable  especially  for  bridge  piers  and  for  work  un- 
der water.  It  has  been  shipped  largely  for  use  on  the  Atlantic  coast 
for  piers,  etc.  It  is  a  very  tough,  tenacious  stone  and  long  slabs  of 
it  will  bend  several  inches  before  they  will  break.  Almost  every 
kind  of  stone  except  limestone  may  be  found  in  Summers  county. 

Timber.— Fully  two-thirds  of  the  county  has  been  stripped  of  its 
timber,  but  some  very  fine  tracts  still  remain.  The  principal  woods 
are  oak,  poplar,  ash  and  other  hard  woods,  including  some  walnut. 
In  the  southern  or  Flat  Top  region  there  is  a  little  pine  but  not 
much  as  compared  with  the  amount  of  other  timber  in  the  county. 
The  timber  can  not  be  floated  down  the  New  river  owing  to  the 
rapids  and  boulders  in  the  river,  but  much  is  now  being  hauled  to 
the  railroad  where  it  is  sawed  and  shipped. 

Agricultural. — While  not  particularly  an  agricultural  county 
Summers  is  still  well  adapted  to  several  varieties  of  agriculture. 
Some  grain  is  grown  though  not  enough  is  now  raised  in  the  county 
for  home  consumption,  more  being  brought  in  than  is  taken  out. 
Part  of  the  county  is  rocky  and  mountainous  but  there  is  a  large  part 
of  it  that  is  well  suited  to  farming.  Most  of  the  county  is  good  graz- 
ing land,  grass  growing  well  all  over  it.  Some  cattle  are  raised  and 
are  profitable,  though  as  a  stock  raising  county  Summers  will  not 
compare  with  Greenbrier  and  Mpnroe,  the  adjacent  counties  on  the 
east.  It  is  well  adapted  to  sheep  raising  and  although  ttiis  industry 
is  now  almost  neglected  it  ^would  undoubtedly  prove  profitable.  The 
southern  part  of  the  county  has  shown  itself  to  be  remarkably  well 
adapted  to  the  culture  of  tobacco  and  some  very  fine  tobaccos  are 
grown.  All  kinds  of  fruits  do  well  in  the  county,  particularly 
grapes,  apples  and  berries.  The  high,  flat  mountain  tops,  fertile 
soil  and  cool  climate  are  excellently  adapted  to  fruit  culture. 


234 


Taylor  County. 


TAYLOR  COUNTY. 

« 

Location  and  Character. — South  of  the  Pennsylvania  line,  west 
of  the  Maryland  line,  and  not  over  30  miles  from  either,  is  Taylor, 
one  of  the  smallest  counties  in  the  State.  Flowing  in  a  north-west 
direction,  and  dividing  the  coanty  into  almost  equal  parts,  is  the 
Tygart's  Valley  river  which  unites  in  the  next  county  with  the 
West  Fork  river  to  form  the  Monongahela.  From  Grafton,  which 
is  about  the  center  of  the  county,  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad 
runs  in  four  directions,  eastward  to  Baltimore  and  New  York,  west- 
ward to  Parkersburg  and  Cincinnati,  to  the  north-west  to  Wheeling,  , 
and  southward  through  Barbour  county  to  a  connection  with  the 
West  Virginia  Central  and  Pittsburg  railroad.  Grafton,  the  county 
seat,  is  excellently  situated  with  regard  to  transportation.  The  dis- 
tance to  Martinsburg  is  180  miles,  to  Baltimore  294,  to  Wheeling 
100,  to  Parkersburg  104,  to  Charleston  238,  to  Cincinnati  300.  and 
to  Chicago  567.  On  the  east  are  the  foot  hills  of  the  Laurel  moun- 
tains, the  roughest  land  in  the  county.  Most  of  the  land  is  rolling, 
with  gently  sloping  hills  except  along  the  river,  where  they  are 
steep.  The  county  is  well  watered  with  the  small  stre^^ms  which 
flow  into  the  Valley  river  and  the  West  Fork.  The  eastern  half  is 
more  distinctively  the  mineral  part,  while  the  west  is  similar  to 
Harrison,  the  grazing  county  on  the  west  ■  Though  small,  Taylor 
county  is  favored  with  much  natural  wealth  of  various  kinds. 

Coal — About  the  entire  county  is  underlaid  with  the  coal  of  the 
Lower  measures,  which  in  this  county  contain  two  workable  beds, 
the  Upper  Freeport  and  the  Lower  Kittaning,  which  are  both  worked 
in  the  adjacent  county  of  Preston,  and  are  both  excellent  coking 
coals.  The  veins  are  from  3  to  6  feet  thick  in  this  county.  In  a 
portion  of  the  county,  the  extent  of  which  has  not  been  definitely 
ascertained,  but  over  at  least  10,000  acres,  the  Pittsburg  coking  coal 
is  found  in  a  vein  varying  from  6  to  8  feet  in  thickness.  In  the 
western  part'of  the  county  there  is  a  9  foot  seam  of  gas  coal  of  as 
fine  quality  as  any  in  the  State. 

For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1891,  the  reports  of  the  State  Mine 
Inspectors  show  that  there  were  in  Taylor  county  two  coal  mines 
producing  83,851  tons  of  coal  and  25  coke  ovens  producing  8,458 
tons  of  coke.    For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1892,  the  reports  show 


Taylor  County. 


235 


that  the  two  mines  produced  74,000  tons  of  coal  and  the  25  coke 
ovens  7,756  tons  of  coke. 

Iron. — Iron  ores  in  considerable  quantities  are  found  in  various 
parts  of  the  county  and  have  been  worked  to  some  extent.  As  long 
ago  as  75  years  there  was  a  furnace  in  Taylor  county  making  iron 
and  since  that  time  others  have  been  in  operation,  but  there  is  none 
now.  Iron  ores,  though,  are  abundant  and  are  found  throughout 
the  eastern  part  of  the  county  in  veins  of  from  1  to  16  feet  in  thick- 
ness and  showing,  upon  analysis,  from  30  to  60  per  cent,  metallic 
iron.  There  is  also  some  manganese  but  it  is  not  found  in  very  ex- 
tensive quantities. 

Fire  Clay. — Over  several  thousand  acres  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Taylor  county  is  found  a  twelve  foot  bed  of  the  finest  kind  of  fire 
clay.  It  has  not  been  worked  but  tests  made  of  the  clay  show  it 
to  be  the  equal  of  any  fire  clay  known.  There  are  two  varieties,  one 
suitable  for  paving  brick,  the  other  for  finer  work.  All  over  the 
county  good  fire  clay  is  found,  being  similar  in  the  west  to  that  of 
Marion  county.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  in  no  county  in  the  State  is 
there  clay  of  superior  excellence  or  in  greater  quantity  than  in 
Taylor  county  and  when  that  time  arrives  when  West  Virginia's 
production  of  clay  products  shall  equal  that  of  New  Jersey,  then 
Taylor  county  will  be  found  producing  as  much  as  any  county  in 
the  State. 

Oil  and  Gas. — No  oil  has  ever  been  found  in  Taylor  county.  The 
Marion  county  oil  field  does  not  extend  into  this  county,  or  at  least 
has  never  been  found.  There  is,  though,  considerable  natural  gas 
which  bubbles  up  from  beneath  the  earth  in  several  parts  of  the 
county.  It  is  not  improbable  that  future  developments  may  show 
that  there  is  oil  in  Taylor  county. 

Timber. — Taylor  county  has  been  settled  a  long  time,  has  had 
railroad  facilities  and  river  transportation  for  logs,  and  its  most  val- 
uable timber  has  been  cut  out.  Not  over  a  fifth  of  the  county  re- 
mains in  timber,  which  is  principally  oaks,  poplar,  walnut,  chestnut, 
hickory,  etc.  Grafton  was  at  one  time  the  market  for  all  the  timber 
from  the  Buckhannon  and  Valley  rivers,  which  was  floated  down 
and  caught  in  the  boom  above  Grafton,  but  the  railroads  now  con- 
trol most  of  this  business.  The  timber  is  sawed  where  it  is  cut  and 
the  railroads  carry  it  out. 


236 


Tucker  Codnty. 


Agricultural. — The  soil  of  Taylor  county  is  all  fertile,  hills  and 
valleys  alike.  Corn  is  the  principal  grain  raised.  Other  grains  are 
not  grown  to  any  great  extent,  but  grass  covers  a  large  part  of  the 
county.  The  western  and  northern  portions  border  along  the  graz- 
ing lands  of  Harrison  and  Marion  counties,  and  the  county  is  in  the 
blue  grass  belt.  For  grazing  Taylor  county  is  about  the  equal  of 
any  county  in  the  State.  The  western  half,  particularly,  is  fine 
grazing  territory  and  good  stock  is  raised.  Cattle  and  sheep  are 
raised  and  there  is  almost  no  waste  land,  hills  and  valleys  all  mak- 
ing good  pasture.  The  county  is  well  suited  for  fruit,  which  grows 
well. 

TUCKER  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character.— The  boundary  line  between  West 
Virginia  and  Maryland  follows  the  Potomac  river  to  its  source  and 
runs  thence  due  north  to  the  Pennsylvania  line.  The  source  of  the 
Potomac,  as  ascertained  and  marked  by  Lord  Fairfax  is  at 
the  point  where  the  town  of  Fairfax  now  is  in  Tucker  county.  An 
extension  of  the  north  and  south  line  through  the  county  would 
divide  it  into  almost  equal  parts.  Tucker  lies  at  the  west  base  of 
the  main  Alleghany  range  of  mountains,  and  is  one  of  the  counties 
connecting  the  main  part  of  the  State  with  the  narrow  strip  of 
counties  east  of  the  mountains.  From  south  to  north  through  the 
county  flows  the  Cheat  river,  a  tributary  of  the  Monongahela.  The 
eastern  part  of  the  county  is  watered  by  the  Blackwater  river,  a 
stream  whose  waters  are  always  black,  and  which  with  several  other 
tributaries  from  the  south  flows  into  the  Cheat  in  this  county. 
None  of  the  streams  are  navigable,  but  afl()rd  the  means  of  getting 
out  timber.  The  county  is  very  mountainous  and  high  but  is  not 
much  broken  except  along  the  rivers.  A  good  deal  o^  the  surface 
is  high  table  land.  Through  the  county  in  a  northeast  and  south- 
west direction  runs  the  West  Virginia  Central  and  Pittsburg  rail- 
road, making  connections  northward  for  the  east  and  running  up 
into  Randolph  county,  thence  down  the  Tygart's  Valley  to  a  con- 
nection with  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  branch  road  in  Barbour  county. 
St.  George,  the  county  seat,  is  about  6  miles  from  the  railroad  by 
which  the  distance  to  Martinsburg  is  1G9  miles,  to  Baltimore  283,  to 
Wheeling  182,  to  Parkersburg  186,  to  Charleston  320,  to  Cincinnati 
381,  to  Chicago  649. 


Tucker  County. 


237 


Coal. — About  one-half  of  the  county  is  well  supplied  with  coal, 
the  principal  veins  being  the  Upper  and  Lower  Kittaning  coal  of  the 
Lower  measures.  At  several  places  in  the  county  the  coal  is  mined 
and  since  railroad  communication  has  been  established  the  produc- 
tion of  coal  and  coke  along  its  line  has  increased  tremendously. 
There  are  two  good  veins  of  coal  in  the  county,  one  about  9  feet 
and  the  other  6^  feet  in  thickness,  excluding  slate.  Both  are  excel- 
lent coking  coals,  analyses  of  the  coke  made  showing  it  to  be  among 
the  best  produced  in  the  United  States.  For  smithing  the  coal  of 
Tucker  county  is  unexcelled.  The  reports  of  the  State  Mine  In- 
spectors show  that  in  the  year  ending  June  30,  1891,  there  were 
four  mines  ,  employing  335  men  and  producing  189,050  tons  of  coal, 
and  230  coke  ovens  producing  69,162  tons  of  coke.  For  the  year 
ending  June  30,  1892,  the  number  of  mines  was  6,  employes  690, 
coal  production  396,320  tons,  coke  ovens  423,  coke  production  72,- 
298  tons. 

Stone. — Large  quantities  of  good  building  stone  are  found  in  the 
county,  both  lime  and  sand-stone.    There  is  no  iron  in  the  county. 

Timber.— Over  a  third  of  Tucker  county  is  still  covered  with  valu- 
able timber.  This  comprises  cherry,  oak,  maple,  poplar,  spruce  and 
hemlock.  The  two  latter  have  suffered  from  the  rav^iges  of  the  pine 
destroying  insect,  but  still  ofier  thousands  of  acres  of  valuable  tim- 
ber. A  great  deal  is  being  done  to  bring  the  timber  of  Tucker 
county  to  market,  and  the  activity  is  very  marked,  particularly 
since  the  completion  of  the  railroad.  Saw  mills  are  placed  on  every 
creek,  and  at  very  short  distances  along  the  railroad,  and  planing 
and  wood  working  mills  of  every  description  are  following.  Large 
crews  of  men  fill  immense  lumber  camps  in  the  forests,  and  are  fast 
stripping  the  county  of  all  its  valuable  timber.  There  is,  however, 
a  considerable  portion  of  it  that  is  untouched  yet.  The  forests  are 
very  thick  and  the  timber  growth  is  large.  An  undergrowth  of 
laurel  grows  among  the  trees,  higher  than  a  man's  head,  and  so 
thick  that  crews  of  "swampers"  have  to  be  sent  out  ahead  of  the  log- 
gers to  clear  passage-ways  so  they  can  fell  the  timber. 

Agricultural. — There  is  very  little  farming  of  any  kind  done  in 
Tucker  county,  the  work  in  timber  and  coal  taking  the  place  of  that 
on  the  farm.  Much  of  the  land,  though,  is  well  adapted  to  farming. 
Cereals  grow  well,  corn  being  the  principal  one  raised.    Grasses  form 


238 


Tyler  County. 


the  most  important  crop  of  the  county,  and  grazing  the  principal 
line  of  agriculture.  Cattle  of  excellent  quality  and  large  size  are 
raised,  and  no  region  of  the  State  raises  better  cattle  than  can  the 
region  of  which  Tucker  is  a  part.  The  county  is  especially  adapted 
to  sheep  raising.  There  is  hardly  any  part  of  the  county  that  will 
not  produce  good  grass,  and  sheep  in  this  county  do  well  and  prove 
profitable.    The  county  is  also  suited  for  fruits. 

TYLER  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Tyler  county  is  one  of  the  counties 
lying  in  the  Ohio  valley.  It  is  the  second  county  south  of  the 
northern  panhandle  and  borders  along  the  Ohio  river  for  about  15 
miles.  Through  the  center  of  the  county  flows  Middle  Island 
creek,  which  with  its  tributary  streams  waters  well  the  whole  county, 
emptying  into  the  Ohio  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Pleasants.  This 
stream  is  navigable  for  small  flat  boats  in  favorable  seasons,  while 
the  Ohio  river  which  follows  the  western  boundary  of  the  county  is 
navigable  for  the  largest  steamers,  except  in  occasional  seasons  of 
low  water.  The  county  is  mostly  rolling  and  hilly.  The  Ohio 
river  bottoms  are  broad  and  level  and  the  valleys  of  the  smaller 
streams  are  also  broad.  The  hills  are  not  high  or  steep  and  most  of 
them  are  well  suited  for  cultivation.  The  suil  in  the  valleys  and  on 
the  hills  is  alike  good  and  productive.  The  only  railroad  in  the 
county  is  the  Ohio  River  road,  which  follows  along  the  western 
border  for  the  entire  length  of  the  county.  Middlebourne,  the 
county  seat,  is  ofl"  the  railroad  about  10  miles,  the  nearest  point 
being  Sistersville,  by  way  of  which  the  distance  from  Middlebourne 
to  Wheeling  is  57  miles,  to  Parkersburg  37,  to  Charleston  171,  to 
Cincinnati  232,  to  Chicago  524  miles. 

Coal. — The  county  is  situated  in  the  Upper  coal  measures,  and 
the  Pittsburg  vein,  the  most  important  one  in  the  measures,  is  found, 
with  its  excellent  coking  coals.  The  vein  which  is  worked  in  Har- 
rison county  near  the  Tyler  county  line,  and  which  is  there  above 
the  water  level,  is  found  in  Tyler  from  50  to  350  feet  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth,  being  deeper  toward  the  western  part  of  the 
county.  The  vein  is  from  8  to  10  feet  in  thickness  and  contains 
excellent  coal.    None  of  it  has  ever  been  mined  in  Tyler  county,  it 


Tyler  County. 


239 


being  easier  to  bring  the  coal  in  by  rail  from  other  places  than  to 
shaft  for  it  here. 

Oil. — In  Tyler  county  is  located  the  last  large  producing  oil  field 
discovered  in  the  State,  and  which  is  now  the  best  one  of  them  all. 
It  is  known  as  the  Sistersville  field,  from  the  town  of  Sistersville, 
which  is  right  in  the  midst  of  it.  No  place  in  the  field  is  held 
sacred  and  on  every  available  lot  a  well  or  two  has  been  put  down. 
One  is  in  a  church-yard,  while  others  are  in  private  yards  so  close 
to  the  homes  of  residents  that  the  great  walking  beams  almost 
scrape  the  houses  as  they  move  up  and  down.  The  first  well  shot 
in  this  field  was  in  February,  1891.  It  pumped  nothing  but  salt 
water  for  four  months  and  was  then  abandoned.  About  a  year 
afterward  pumping  was  renewed  and  the  well  showed  oil  It  is 
now  the  best  well  in  the  field,  pumping  about  300  barrels  of  oil  a 
day.  The  field  was  actively  opened  in  February,  1892,  and  at  the 
first  of  the  present  year  there  were  225  producing  wells,  50  more 
being  drilled,  and  30  riggings  going  up.  The  total  production  of 
the  field  at  that  time  was  about  15,000  barrels  a  day.  The  pumps 
bring  up  both  oil  and  water,  about  five  times  as  much  water  as  oil, 
but  the  production  given  above  is  in  oil,  exclusive  of  the  water. 
The  field  is  oval  in  shape,  the  oil  pool  clearly  defined,  its  greatest 
width  being  about  two  miles,  its  length  about  five  miles.  The  dis- 
tance to  the  oil  sand  at  water  level  is  about  1,400  feet.  The  sand  is 
250  feet  thick,  the  first  50  feet  producing  oil.  There  have  been  very 
few  dry  holes  in  the  field,  most  of  the  wells  drilled  in  proving  to  be 
good  producers  Along  with  the  oil  there  is  plenty  of  natural  gas, 
and  this  is  piped  for  many  miles  to  all  the  cities  and  large  towns  in 
reach,  where  it  is  used  for  fuel  and  lighting  purposes. 

Iron, — Some  iron  ores  are  found  in  this  county,  but  no  investiga- 
tion of  their  value  or  extent  has  ever  been  made.  The  ores  are 
brown  hematite  and  nodular  ores,  some  of  them  thought  to  be  very 
rich,  and  the  deposits  are  quite  large. 

Stone. — Limestone  fo-**  building  purposes  and  an  excellent  hard 
sandstone  are  found  in  the  county  and  used  locally  for  building. 

Clays. — Fire  clays  and  ordinary  brick  clay  are  found  in  several 
parts  of  the  county  and  are  thought  to  be  in  valuable  deposits.  The 
location  is  good  for  clay  working  establishments  of  all  kinds  and 
the  clay  is  as  good  as  any  that  is  found  along  the  Ohio  river. 


240 


Tyler  County. 


Timber. — Not  over  two  thirds  of  Tyler  county  has  been  cleared, 
the  rest  remaining  in  timber.  Oak,  poplar,  hickory,  chestnut,  ash 
and  walnut  are  the  principal  woods,  though  there  is  very  little  of 
the  latter  left  now.  The  lands  along  the  streams  have  all  been 
pretty  well  cleared,  but  on  the  lands  back  from  them  and  on  the  hills 
little  has  been  cut.  The  watsrs  which  penetrate  the  county  are 
large  enough  to  carry  timber  out  on  rises,  and  afford  easy  means  of 
getting  it  to  market.  A  great  deal  is  worked  up  in  the  county.  Saw 
mills,  stave  mills  and  other  wood  working  industries  are  numerous 
in  the  county  and  the  forests  are  rapidly  disappearing. 

Agricultural. — The  soil  of  Tyler  county  is  fertile  and  productive 
the  surface  level  in  the  valleys  and  sloping  gently  on  the  hills,  so 
there  is  hardly  any  portion  of  the  county  that  is  not  suited  for 
cultivation.  The  Ohio  river  bottoms  are  very  productive,  the  val- 
leys of  the  smaller  streams  are  also  rich  and  the  hill  lands  are  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  some  lines  of  agriculture  Grains  of  all  kinds 
grow  well,  fruits  are  good  and  productive  and  grasses  make  excel- 
lent sod.  Cattle  are  raised  in  goodly  numbers  and  sheep  also  do  well. 

UPSHUR  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Near  the  center  of  the  State,  but 
slightly  to  the  north-east  of  it,  is  Upshur  county.  The  southern 
portion  of  the  county  is  in  the  high  region  which  divides  the  waters 
of  the  northern  part  of  the  State  from  those  of  the  southern,  and 
the  entire  county  is  high  and  portions  of  it  mountainous.  Through 
the  centre  of  the  county  the  Buckhannon  river  flows  northward, 
passing  into  Barbour  county,  where  it  flows  into  the  Tygart's  Valley 
river.  Along  a  portion  of  the  eastern  boundary  flows  the  Middle 
Fork  of  the  Tygart's  Valley  river,  a'.id  in  the  southern  portion  of 
the  county  is  the  Little  Kanawha  rivt^r.  These  streams  are  all 
small  in  Upshur  and  none  of  them  navigable,  but  with  their  tribu- 
taries abundantly  supply  the  county  with  water.  The  county, 
though  partly  mountainous,  is  not  much  broken,  the  mountains 
are  not  steep,  and  the  surface,  while  mostly  high,  is  level  and  roll- 
ing. Buckhannon,  the  county  seat,  is  located  on  a  high  level  along 
the  Buckhannon  river,  near  the  center  of  the  county.  From  it  two 
branches  of  the  West  Virginia  and  Pittsburg  railroad  run  through 
the  county — one  southward  into  the  magnificent  forests  in  the  upper 


Upshur  County. 


241 


end  of  the  county,  the  other  westward  to  the  main  branch  of  the  same 
road  at  Weston.  By  way  of  this  road  the  distance  from  Buckhan- 
hannon  to  Parkersburg  is  123  miles,  to  Martinsburg  243,  to  Balti- 
more 357,  to  Wheeling  152,  to  Cincinnati  318,  and  to  Chicago  619 
miles.  When  the  railroad  up  Elk  river  from  Charleston  is  com- 
pleted, the  distance  to  Charleston  will  be  160  miles  A  short  rail- 
road from  Buckhannon  to  a  connection  with  the  B.  &  0.  in  Barbour 
county  is  contemplated  but  not  begun. 

Coal. — There  is  a  good  deal  of  coal  in  the  county,  Upshur  having 
the  same  two  seams  that  Barbour  county  has — the  Pittsburg,  with 
an  average  thickness  of  about  six  feet,  and  the  Roaring  Creek  coal, 
which  is  in  several  veins  of  varying  thickness,  running  up  to  ten 
feet,  and  is  in  all  respects  similar  to  the  coals  of  the  same  seam  in 
Barbour  county.  There  is  a  coal  found  in  Upshur — found  in  "pock- 
ets"— covering  perhaps  8,000  acres  of  the  county  so  far  as  now 
known,  which  is  a  splendid  blacksmith  coal,  has  very  little  sulphur, 
— less  than  one  per  cent., — and  is  used  in  forges  without  coking.  It 
is  a  superior  smithing  coal,  much  sought  for  by  those  who  know  it, 
and  is  similar  to  a  coal  valued  highly  for  this  purpose  which  is  said 
to  be  found  in  but  two  other  localities.  Notwithstanding  the  quan- 
tity of  coal  that  is  hidden  away  in  Upshur  county,  none  has  ever 
been  mined,  save  in  a  few  places  for  local  use. 

Iron  —Upshur  has  a  little  iron  ore,  but  hardly  in  workable  quan- 
tities. 

Clay  and  Stone. — Fire  clay,  which  has  been  tested  and  pro- 
nounced very  fine,  is  found  widely  distributed  throughout  the 
county.  The  depth  of  the  bed  is  not  known,  but  it  has  been  dug 
into  for  10  feet,  and  the  bottom  of  the  bed  was  not  then  reached. 
The  clay  is  of  excellent  quality  and  in  enormous  quantities,  and 
will  undoubtedly  bring  the  county  into  prominence  as  a  center  for 
clay  manufacturing  at  no  distant  day. 

Building  stone,  both  lime  and  sand,  is  found  in  the  county.  The 
limestone  is  not  found  over  a  large  extent,  being  only  in  a  portion 
of  the  county,  but  there  is  an  abundance  of  fine  sandstone  for  build- 
ing purposes. 

Timber. — About  one  half  of  Upshur  county  is  still  covered  with 
timber,  which  is  being  rapidly  taken  out.  In  this  county  is  found 
some  of  the  finest  timber  in  the  State,  and  hitherto  it  has  been 


242 


Upshur  County. 


comparatively  neglected  so  that  now,  upon  the  completion  of  the 
railroad  into  the  forests,  the  timber  is  being  rapidly  removed.  One 
firm  alone  in  the  southern  end  of  the  county  employs  over  500 
men  in  getting  out  and  sawing  up  the  timber.  There  are  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county  numerous  coves  between  the  moun- 
tains where  the  many  streams  which  have  their  sources  in  or  near 
this  county  rise.  These  coves  are  rich  in  soil  and  well  protected, 
high  and  dry,  so  the  conditions  are  most  favorable  for  excellent 
timber.  There  was  once  fine  walnut  in  the  county  but  most  of  it 
has  been  taken  out.  Poplar,  oaks,  spruce,  pine,  hemlock,  ash  and 
cherry  are  the  principal  timbers  standing,  and  some  of  the  finest 
specimens  in  the  State  are  found  here. 

AoaiCDLTURAL.—  Farming  and  grazing  are  the  chief  interests  of 
the  county.  The  soil,  not  so  fertile  as  some,  averages  very  well. 
The  mountains  are  not  steep,  and  every  foot  of  ground  in  the  county 
is  available  for  agricultural  pursuits.  Blue  grass  springs  up  when 
the  land  is  cleared  and  forms  an  excellent  grazing  country.  Horses 
and  cattle  were  formerly  raised  in  great  numbers,  but  the  decreased 
prices  for  stock  discouraged  the  people  and  fewer  horses  and  cattle 
are  raised.  Sheep,  though,  are  grown  to  a  considerable  extent,  and 
the  county  is  well  suited  to  them.  Farming  of  all  kinds  may  be 
successfully  carried  on,  though  grazing  is  its  favorite  form  among 
the  present  occupants  of  the  county.  Fruit  raising  proves  profit- 
able and  the  county  is  well  adapted  to  its  culture.  It  is  high — 
Buckhannon,  about  the  average,  is  1,200  feet — and  dry,  and  fruits 
are  well  protected.    Grapes  and  apples  do  particularly  well. 

WAYNE  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Char/.cter. — Wayne  county  is  the  westernmost 
one  in  the^^State.  It  forms  the  western  corner  where  the  States  of 
West  Virginia,  Kentucky  and  Ohio  join.  Along  the  northern  end 
of  the  county  flows  the  Ohio  river.  The  western  boundary  is  the 
Big  Sandy  river  and  the  Tug  Fork  of  the  same,  which  separate  this 
State  from  Kentucky.  Through  the  county  from  south  to  north 
flow  the  Right  and  Left  Forks  of  Twelve  Pole  river,  which  unite 
at  Wayne  Court  House.  The  Ohio  is  nearly  always  navigable  for 
^  large  steamers.  The  Big  Sandy  is  part  of  the  time  navigable  even 
above  Wayne  county.    Along  the  Ohio  shore  through  the  entire 


Wayne  County. 


243 


county  run  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  railroad,  which  connects  Cin- 
cinnati and  Chicago  with  the  seaboard,  the  Newport  News  and 
Mississippi  Valley  railroad,  connecting  central  Kentucky  with  the 
C.  &  0.,  the  Ohio  River  railroad,  connecting  Wayne  county  with 
Wheeling  and  intermediate  points,  and  the  Huntington  and  Big 
Sandy  railroad,  running  from  the  mouth  of  Big  Sandy  to  Hunting- 
ton. Through  the  length  of  the  county,  north  and  south,  runs  the 
Norfolk  and  Western  railroad,  connecting  Chicago  with  the  sea- 
board. Wayne,  the  county  seat,  is  on  the  N.  &  W.  railroad,  21 
miles  from  the  Ohio  river,  30  from  Huntington,  80  from  Charleston, 
224  from  Wheeling,  173  from  Cincinnati,  552  from  Norfolk,  and  478 
from  Chicago.  The  county  is  hilly,  bordering  on  the  mountainous 
in  places.  The  Ohio  river  bottoms  are  broad  and  there  is  much 
other  good  level  bottom  land  in  the  county.  The  hills  slope  gently 
and  none  of  them  are  steep.  The  county  is  practically  undeveloped 
except  along  the  rivers  and  railroads.  These  portions  have  been 
pretty  well  settled  and  occupied,  the  rest  remaining  in  its  original 
state. 

Coal. — Five  miles  above  the  Court  House,  on  the  left  fork  of 
Twelve  Pole,  coal  is  found,  while  on  the  right  fork  the  first  is  seen 
13  miles  above.  From  these  points  up,  along  both  branches,  the 
coal  is  very  abundant.  The  southeastern  half  of  the  county  is  thus 
plentifully  underlaid  with  coal,  while  the  rest  of  the  county  has 
none.  In  the  upper  part  of  the  county  the  coal  is  very  fine  and 
can  be  found  almost  anywhere,  and  of  almost  any  kind.  In  the 
western  part  the  coal  runs  out  over  the  hill  tops  or  dips  low  under 
the  Big  Sandy  to  reappear  in  Kentucky,  as  at  Peach  Orchard.  The 
coal  of  Wayne  ranges  from  2  to  11  feet  in  thickness,  though  from  5 
to  6  feet  are  average  veins.  Veins  of  from  4  to  6  feet  are  more 
easily  worked  than  are  thicker  ones  because  they  have  usually  no 
partings  of  slate,  and  because  less  timber  is  required  to  prop  up  the 
top.  Several  kinds  of  coal  are  found  in  this  county,  including  an 
excellent  article  of  coking  coal  which  has  been  tested  and  produces 
a  splendid  coke.  There  is  also  a  good  splint  coal  which 
contains  little  sulphur,  is  hard  and  excellent  for  shipping.  Wayne 
has  also  a  good  deal  of  cannel  coal  which  reaches  in  places  a  thick- 
ness of  4  feet.  Wayne's  coal  is  practically  untouched.  Until  the 
construction  of  the  N.  &  W.  raiJroad  none  of  it  had  been  mined  at 


244 


Wayne  County. 


all  except  for  local  use,  and  even  now  there  are  but  four  or  five 
mines  along  the  line  in  Wayne.  Oae  7  foot  vein  of  coal  is  under- 
laid with  a,  6  loot  vein  of  fire-clay. 

Clays. — Excellent  beds  of  fire  clays  are  found  in  various  parts  of 
the  county.  The  clay  is  of  superior  quality,  and  sample  bricks 
made  from  it  surpass  in  hardness,  firmness  and  capacity  for  absorb- 
ing water  some  of  the  famous  fire  brick  of  the  country.  There  is  a 
great  abundance  of  this  fire  clay  and  it  is  easy  to  get  at.  As  men- 
tioned above,  a  6  foot  vein  of  clay  underlies  a  7  foot  vein  of  coal, 
so  that  the  material  and  fuel  for  making  brick  and  tiling  may  be 
mined  at  the  same  time.  ,  A  valuable  deposit  of  potter's  clay  is  also 
found,  but  has  not  been  worked. 

Ochre. — A  fine  deposit  of  yellow  ochre,  several  feet  thick,  is 
found  in  the  county,  which  has  not  been  worked,  but  is  valuable 
for  making  paint.  There  is  a  considerable  quantity  of  ochre  await- 
ing development. 

Iron. — A  good  deal  of  iron  ore  is  found  all  over  the  county  and 
of  several  different  kinds.  The  veins  range  from  18  to  72  inches  in 
thickness,  besides  which  ''pockets"  are  found  in  several  places.  The 
ore  found  near  the  Court  House  is  the  same  as  that  used  in  the 
furnaces  at  Ironton,  Ohio,  where  its  use  has  been  markedly  success- 
ful. Over  on  the  Sandy  side  of  the  county  is  the  thickest  deposit 
of  ore  where  it  is  72  inches.  Some  of  this  iron  is  very  rich,  but  it 
has  never  been  developed  at  all,  and  its  value  is  scarcely  known. 
Wayne  is  one  of  the  few  counties  in  which  the  black  band  iron  ore 
is  found.  This  makes  an  excellent  iron  and  is  the  material  from 
which  much  of  the  celebrated  Scotch  pig  is  made.  Limestone  for 
fluxing  is  also  found  in  the  county  near  the  iron  and  coking  coal. 

Oil  and  Gas. — Natural  gas  is  plentiful  and  escapes  from  the  earth 
in  many  places  in  the  county,  while  just  across  the  line  in  Ken- 
tucky one  of  the  largest  gas  wells  in  this  part  of  the  country  is  daily 
pouring  forth  its  thousands  of  feet  of  valuable  vapor.  No  oil  has 
as  yet  been  found  in  Wayne,  though  the  prevalence  of  so  much 
gas  would  indicate  that  oil  might  be  found  at  no  great  distance. 

Salt. — In  boring  for  oil  and  gas  salt  water  has  been  found  in 
large  quantities  and  in  Kentucky  near  the  State  line  salt  has  been 
made  for  market,  but  no  attempt  has  ever  been  made  in  Wayne  to 
make  any  salt. 


Wayne  County. 


245 


Timber. — But  a  comparatively  small  portion  of  Wayne  county 
has  ever  been  devel*  pel  at  all,  and  it  is  estimated  that  three-fourths 
of  the  county  is  still  in  forests.  Probably  one-half  of  it  is  covered 
with  untouched  forests,  the  other  fourth  with  only  the  very  finest 
poplar  taken  off,  leaving  about  three-fourths  of  the  county  covered 
yet  with  good  timber.  The  land  is  all  well  watered  and  easy  to  take 
timber  out  of,  but  many  large  land  owners  have  hitherto  refused  to 
let  the  timber  be  taken  from  their  lands,  and  thus  so  much  has  been 
left.  The  timber  comprises  poplar,  oak,  ash,  lynn,  beech,  birch, 
maple,  a  little  walnut  and  some  pine.  Several  saw  mills  are  at 
work  in  the  county  cutting  timber,  but  comparatively  little  is  being 
taken  out.  Besides  the  saw  timber  there  are  vast  quantities  of  tim- 
ber suited  for  ties,  telegraph  poles  and  staves  and  other  small  tim- 
ber. There  is  a  good  deal  of  hickory  suitable  for  wagon  and  car- 
riage works,  and  almost  inexhaustible  quantities  of  tanbark.  The 
market  value  of  the  tanbark  alone  is  more  than  equal  to  the  as- 
sessment valuation  of  the  entire  county. 

Agricultural.- -Onl}'  the  river  bottoms  and  the  sloping  hills 
close  to  them  have  ever  been  farmed,  and  this  principally  in  the 
northern  part,  but  the  entire  county  is  suitable  for  farming,  and  as 
the  timber  is  taken  off  it  will  gradually  be  brought  under  cultiva- 
tion. The  bottom  lands  are  rich  and  yield  good  crops  of  grain. 
Corn  in  particular  yields  abundantly,  in  the  best  lands  from  50  to 
70  bushels  an  acre,  and  in  some  cases  yields  of  110  bushels  are  re- 
ported. One  of  the  crops  to  which  the  land  seems  specially  suited 
is  tobacco  The  new  land  is  the  best  adapted  to  it  and  excellent 
tobacco  is  grown  in  the  county.  .Grass  grows  well  and  the  hills  and 
valleys  where  the  timber  is  removed  are  covered  with  splendid  pas- 
tures. Horses,  cattle  and  sheep  are  raised  and  shipped  in  goodly 
numbers.  Good  cattle  are  raised  and  the  county  is  suited  in  all  re- 
spects to  sheep  raising,  but  the  number  of  sheep  is  not  so  large  as 
it  should  be.  In  this  line  as  well  as  in  the  developing  of  the  nat- 
ural resources,  there  is  room  for  the  assistance  of  many  more  peo- 
ple than  are  now  engaged  in  it. 

WEBSTER  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character.— Webster  county  lies  slightly  to  the 
south-east  of,  but  very  close  to  the]»center  of  the  State.    It  is  all 


246 


Webster  County. 


high  and  principally  mountainous.  From  east  to  west  through  the 
center  of  the  county  floAvs  the  Elk  river.  Through  the  southern 
portion  flows  the  Gauley,  and  for  a  short  distance  near  the  northern 
border  flows  the  Little  Kanawha  river.  Addison,  the  county  seat, 
is  at  the  junction  of  two  forks  of  Elk,  1430  feet  above  the  sea  level 
and  the  surrounding  mountains  are  from  800  to  1400  feet  above  that. 
South  of  Addisan  is  the  dividing  ridge  between  the  Elk  and  Gauley 
rivers,  and  across  this  ridge  it  is  but  three  miles  from  the  Elk  to  the 
Gauley,  while  the  bed  of  the  latter  is  80<)  feet  higher  than  that  of 
the  Elk  at  Addison.  Hitherto  distant  from  railroads  and  the  high- 
er civilization  of  the  State,  Webster  has  remained  almost  as  it  was 
when,  away  back  in  seventeen  hundred  and  ninety  odd,  old  Mr. 
Arthur,  father  of  Rev.  R.  A.  Arthur,  of  Addison,  killed  the  last 
buffalo  ever  seen  in  this  section  of  the  country.  Webster  Springs,  at 
Addison,  was  then  a  salt  lick  and  the  old  buflalo  trail  over  the  moun- 
tain to  it  is  still  visible.  Buffalo  are  extinct  but  other  wild  animals 
are  numerous  in«the  county.  Frequently  bears  are  seen;  young 
cubs  are  caught  every  year  and  an  occasional  fight  between  bears 
and  woodsmen  is  reported.  One  man  has  a  couple  of  young  native 
wolves  and  deer  are  slain  every  fall.  Wild  turkeys  and  other  small 
game  are  plentiful.  The  northern  part  of  the  county  is  a  high  plateau 
but  most  of  the  county  is  very  rough  and  the  mountains  are  steep 
and  broken  In  the  southern  portion  of  the  county  are  "the  glades  " 
These  are  marshy  table  lands  at  an  elevation  of  about  2,400  feet 
above  sea  level.  They  are  probably  the  bott<^ms  of  some  ancient 
sea,  as  shells  and  other  evidences  of  marine  life  have  been  found 
there  Imbedded  in  the  earth  ten  feet  below  the  surface  a  white 
pine  log  was  found  a  few  years  ago.  Whers  it  came  from  is  not 
known  as  there  is  now  no  pine  or  evidence  of  any  within  ten  miles 
of  the  place  where  this  was  found  The  glades  are  absolutely  level. 
The  soil  is  black,  has  absorbed  water  until  it  is  soft  and  mushy  for 
ten  feet  deep  and  shakes,  when  disturbed,  like  a  big  bowl  of  jelly. 
Below  the  marshes  is  a  whitish  yellow  clay  which  absorbs  no  water. 
There  is  no  way  for  this  water  to  run  off  and  it  remains  and  makes 
the  marshes.  There  are  some  80,000  acres  of  these  glades  which 
drainage  would  convert  into  excellent  farming  lands.  The  soil  is 
rich  and  only  needs  drainage  to  become  productive.  Until  within 
a  year  there  has  been  no  railroad  in  Webster  county  but  in  the  year 


Webster  County. 


247 


past  the  Gauley  extension  of  the  West  Virginia  &  Pittsburg  has 
been  completed  through  the  county,  south-west  of  the  center  from 
the  main  line  in  Braxton  county  to  the  Gauley  river  near  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  county.  Addison,  the  county  seat,  is  13  miles  from  this 
railroad,  by  which  the  distance  to  Wheeling  is  220  miles,  to  Parkers- 
burg  180,  to  Martinsburg  300,  to  Baltimore  414,  to  Cincinnati  375, 
to  Chicago  680.  The  distance  to  Charleston  is  65  miles  over  land, 
and  35  by  rail.  Upon  the  completion  of  the  railroad  up  Elk  river  the 
distance  by  rail  will  be  140  miles. 

Coal. — Webster  county  contains  a  great  deal  of  coal,  principally 
the  New  River  coking  coals,  which  are  found  in  veins  of  from  2J-  to 
6  feet  thick.  Near  the  top  of  one  of  the  mountains  the  excellent  vein  of 
coal  operated  by  the  Gauley  Mountain  Coal  Company  at  Ansted,  in 
Fayette  county,  crops  out.  Near  Addison  one  vein  of  coal  has  been 
dug  into  for  9  feet  without  reaching  bottom,  but  this  was  prob- 
ably on  a  slant,  and  the  actual  thickness  of  the  vein  is  not  so  much 
as  this.  Over  in  the  glades  are  coal  veins  of  10  feet  thickness  with 
a  parting  3  feet  from  the  bottom.  The  lower  part  of  the  seam  is 
good  coal,  the  other  a  shale,  rich  in  oil  and  giving  out  an  intense 
heat  when  used  with  coal,  but  which  will  not  burn  alone.  Few  of 
the  coal  veins  of  Webster  county  have  ever  been  discovered.  It  is 
known  that  the  county  lies  among  the  New  River  coal  measures, 
and  some  excellent  openings  of  this  coal  have  been  made,  but  there 
are  undoubtedly  more  veins  which  are  not  now  known.  The  west- 
ern part  of  the  county  lies  in  the  Lower  coal  measures,  which  also 
produce  most  excellent  coking  coals.  There  are  also  known  to  be 
other  coals  below  the  bases  of  the  mountains,  but  no  investigations 
have  ever  been  made  as  to  their  quality  or  extent.  Omc  vein  re- 
cently discovered  measures  12  feet  in  thickness  and  is  supposed  to 
underlie  the  entire  county.  Cannel  coal  of  excellent  quality  is 
found  in  the  western  part  of  the  county  over  a  considerable  area. 
While  investigations  have  not  been  thoroughly  made,  it  is  knowm 
that  Webster  county  possesses  plenty  of  coal  of  the  very  best  quality, 
in  workable  seams  above  the  water  level.  It^  development  is  a  mat- 
ter of  but  a  short  time, 

Iron.— Some  iron  ore  has  been  found  in  Webster  county,  but 
none  as  yet  that  would  t^slj  for  mining.    In  Braxton,  the  adjoining 


248 


Webster  County. 


county,  iron  is  found,  and  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  it  may  be 
found  in  Webster. 

Fire-Clay. — In  many  parts  of  the  county  good  fire-clay  has  been 
found  and  bits  of  earthen  ware  are  occasionally  picked  up  among 
the  relics  of  pre-historic  races,  showing  that  the  value  of  the 
clay  has  long  been  known.  ' 

Lead. — Tradition  tells  of  silver  and  lead  being  found  between 
Addison  and  Stroud's  creek,  which  empties  into  the  Gauley,  and 
mined  by  the  Indians.  White  slaves  were  sometimes  taken  by  the 
Indians  to  the  mines,  but  the  few  who  knew  their  location  died  in 
the  possession  of  th-e  secret.  At  one  place  on  Stroud's  creek  old 
pottery,  supposed  to  be  Indian  crucibles,  has  been  found,  and  it  is 
supposed  they  were  used  to  melt  the  ores  in.  At  the  mouth  of 
Stroud's  creek,  after  freshets,  nuggets  of  lead  as  big  as  buckshot  have 
been  found.  They  have  the  appearance  of  being  splashings  or  drip- 
pings from  the  melting  pot,  and  it  is  said  that  this  is  the  place  the 
Indians  took  the  ore  to  reduce  it.  An  occasional  search  has  be  en 
made  for  the  lead  mines,  but  has  always  been  unsuccessful. 

Salt. — The  salt  springs  at  Addison  were  discovered  before  the 
last  buflfalo  was  killed  by  Mr.  Arthur  a  hundred  years  ago,  when 
buffalo  came  across  the  mountains  after  salt.  Later  Mr.  Arthur  and 
others  made  a  good  deal  of  salt  here  for  domestic  use  and  sold  some 
of  it  in  neighboring  counties.  None  is  now^  made  though  the  salt 
water  still  pours  from  the  ground  from  several  springs.  Sulphur 
and  other  minerals  are  mixed  with  the  salt  in  the  water  and  make 
a  highly  recommended  medicinal  water  which  brings  hundreds  of 
people  every  year  to  test  its  virtue. 

Timber  — Nine-tenths  of  Webster  county  is  still  covered  with 
virgin  forest.  For  seventy-five  miles  above  Addison  200,000  acres 
along  the  Elk  and  its  tributaries  are  covered  with  untouched  forests 
of  oak,  poplar,  black  spruce,  ash,  black  birch,  cherry  and  other  va- 
rieties. The  black  spruce  covers  some  30,000  acres  of  land,  and  is 
interspersed  with  cherry  which  is  in  places  very  abundant.  Near 
Addison  a  gentleman  has  a  barn  built  entirely  of  cherry,  showing 
the  abundance  in  which  it  is  to  be  found  there.  There  is  in  the 
county  considerable  black  birch  which  is  a  beautiful  hard  wood 
somewhat  resembling  cherry.  On  the  Gauley  side  of  the  divide 
there  are  some  40,000  acres  of  untouched  timber  in  Webster  county 


Webster  County. 


249 


alone  which  are  tributary  to  the  new  railroad  town  of  Camden-on- 
the-Gauley.  The  timber  of  Webster  is  among  the  finest  in  the 
State,  poplar  trees  measuring  from  4  to  9  feet  in  diameter  and  from 
40  to  80  feet  in  length.  All  the  trees  are  of  good  size  and  the  land 
is  all  well  covered  with  this  splendid  timber.  The  timber  is  all 
easily  accessible,  growing  as  it  does  on  the  steep  mountain  sides,  at 
the  foot  of  each  of  which  is  a  stream  large  enough  after  rains  to 
float  the  timber  cut  from  the  mountains.  Recently  the  cutting  of 
timber  has  been  begun  and  at  one  time  last  summer  a  single  lumber 
firm  had  in  Elk  and  its  tributary  streams  in  Webster  county  twen- 
ty million  feet  of  timber,  all  cut  and  waiting  for  flood  tide  to  be 
taken  to  the  mill.  At  Camden-on-the-Gauley  the  largest  saw  mill 
in  the  State  has  been  erected  with  a  sawing  capacity  of  80,000  feet 
a  day  and  the  timber  is  beginning  to  be  cut  out  pretty  rapidly. 

Agricultural. — With  so  much  timber  standing,  of  course  there 
is  very  little  of  the  county  under  cultivation.  The  soil  is  rich  but 
little  of  it  has  been  cleared.  Along  the  rivers  and  roads  are  a  few 
rough  farms  but  only  a  few  small  clearings  lie  hid  among  the  for- 
ests. The  soil  is  very  productive  and  grains  of  all  kind  do  well- 
The  very  finest  buckwheat  is  raised,  and  corn  on  the  rich  hill  lands 
yields  25  to  50  bnshels  to  the  acre.  The  plateau  lands  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county  will  make  splendid  agricultural  lands 
when  cleared,  but  much  of  the  county  is^  so  steep  as  to  be  practi- 
cally unfit  for  farming.  For  grazing  most  of  the  county  is  avail- 
able, and  it  has  been  carried  on  to  some  extent.  Blue  grass  springs 
spontaneously  from  the  soil  as  soon  as  the  timber  is  removed.  Ex- 
cellent pasturage  is  afl'orded  and  cattle  and  sheep  of  the  very  best 
can  be  raised.  The  mountain  mutton  is  very  fine  and  many  sheep 
are  already  raised. 

WETZEL  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — The  first  county  south  of  the  north- 
ern panhandle,  bordering  on  both  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  is  Wetzel. 
In  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  rises  the  Big  Fishing  creek,  a 
stream  which  traverses  the  county,  flowing  into  the  Ohio  at  New 
Martinsville,  and  with  its  tributaries  waters  the  whole  county. 
This  stream  affords  the  means  of  transporting  to  market  a  large 
amount  of  the  timber  of  the  county.     Principally  rolling,  with 


250 


Wetzel  County. 


slight  hills,  the  surface  is  broken  in  places  with  higher  hills  which 
occasionally  assume  considerable  proportions  and  are  quite  steep. 
Much  of  the  county,  though,  lies  well  and  is  not  too  steep  for  culti- 
vation. Through  the  western  part  of  the  county,  following  the 
Ohio  river  for  about  fifteen  miles,  is  the  Ohio  River  railroad,  con- 
necting north  and  south  with  all  the  east  and  west  lines  which 
cross  the  State.  Running  through  the  north  eastern  part  of  the 
county  for  about  the  same  distance  is  the  main  line  of  the  Balti- 
more &  Ohio  railroad  connecting  the  east  and  the  west.  New  Martins" 
ville,  the  county  seat,  is  on  the  Ohio  river  and  the  railroad  bearing 
that  name.  The  distance  from  there  to  Wheeling  is  39  miles,  to 
Parkersburg  56,  to  Charleston  189,  to  Baltimore  4(>9,  to  Cincinnati 
251,  to  Chicago  505. 

Coal. — In  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  is  a  vein  of  coal  above 
the  water  level,  said  to  be  12  feet  in  thickness,  and  good  coal.  The 
coal  has  never  been  developed,  but  examinations  show  that  there  is 
good  coal  here  in  workable  quantities,  while  under  the  entire 
county,  from  200  to  300  feet  below  the  surface,  are  found  the  other 
coals  which  underlie  all  the  counties  in  this  part  of  the  State. 
None  ol  them  have  ever  been  mined  but  their  place  has  been  found 
by  borings  for  oil  and  other  purposes. 

Stone. — Good  sandstone  for  building  purposes  is  found  well  dis- 
tributed over  the  entire  county.  There  is  also  limestone  in  por- 
tions of  the  county  suitable  for  building  and  agricultural  purposes. 
The  fine  sand  found  in  the  Ohio  river  is  abundant  here  and  in  the 
smaller  streams  of  the  county,  and  is  valuable  for  building  pur- 
poses. 

Oil. — Situated  near  the  rich  producing  oil  territory  of  Marion, 
Monongalia,  Doddridge  and  Tyler,  almost  surrounded  by  rich  pro- 
ducing territory,  it  would  seem  that  there  should  be  plenty  of  oil 
beneath  the  surface  of  Wetzel  county,  but  as  yet  the  investigations 
have  shown  but  little  as  compared  with  the  territory  of  the  adjoin- 
ing counties.  Some  oil  has  been  found  and  a  good  deal  of  gas  but 
as  yet  the  Wetzel  field  is  not  known  as  a  good  producer.  Still  a 
good  deal  of  the  land  is  bound  up  in  oil  leases  and  developments 
are  Vjeing  made,  which  may  yet  show  that  there  is  oil  in  the  county. 

Timber. — The  county  contains  some  valuable  timber.  Owing  to 
the  proximity  of  the  county  to  the  markets  and  the  excellent  water 


Wetzel  CouNxy. 


251 


transportation  afforded  in  all  parts  of  the  county  a  great  deal  of 
the  timber  has  been  taken  out,  but  about  a  third  of  the 
county  is  still  in  timber.  The  oaks  are  the  principal  kinds  of  tim- 
ber left  though  there  is  still  some  poplar  and  other  kinds  that  may 
be  easily  gotten  out.  Millions  of  feet  come  annually  out  of  the  Big 
Fishing  creek,  every  rise  in  the  stream  bringing  out  a  great  many 
logs,  ties  and  other  forms  of  timber.  There  is  some  tanbark  pro- 
duced in  the  county. 

Agricultural. — The  county  is  well  adapted  to  agriculture  and  is 
carefully  cultivated.  The  greater  part  of  the  county  is  under  culti- 
vation, a  large  part  of  it  being  in  grasses.  The  Ohio  river  bottoms 
and  the  valleys  of  the  streams  that  traverse  the  county  are  the 
most  fertile  in  the  county  and  are  all  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
producing  large  crops  every  year.  Some  of  the  lands  produce  as 
much  a.s  80  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre  and  keep  it  up  constantly. 
The  hill  land  is  mostly  cultivated  also  a  id  the  crops  there  are  all 
satisfactory.  Garden  stuff  is  raised  by  many  of  the  farmers  in  the 
county,  the  cities  near  at  hand  affording  a  good  market  for  them. 
Fruits  of  all  kinds  yield  Avell.  The  climate  is  sufficiently  cool  to 
make  it  a  good  one  for  apples,  grapes,  etc.,  and  all  kinds  are  raised 
in  considerable  quantities.  Clovers,  blue  grass  and  other  kinds  of 
grasses  grow  in  all  parts  of  the  county  and  make  excellent  pastur- 
age. Cattle  are  raised,  sheep  grown  for  their  wool  and  for  mutton 
and  stock  raising  is  about  the  greatest  industry  of  the  county.  The 
high  and  dry  lands  of  the  county,  the  fine  grass  and  the  abundance 
of  pure,  clear  and  rapidly  running  water  in  the  county  make  it  a 
good  one  for  stock  raising. 

WIRT  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Northwest  of  the  center  of  the  S'ate 
and  about  two-thirds  of  the  way  from  there  to  the  Ohio  river  is 
Wirt  county.  The  Little  Kanawha  river,  navigable  for  steamboats, 
flows  in  a  north-westerly  direction  through  the  county,  dividing  it 
in  almost  equal  parts.  The  Hughes  river,  Reedy  and  Spring  creeks 
and  the  West  Fork  all  empty  into  the  Little  Kanawha  in  this 
county.  The  county  is  principally  rolling  in  character,  with  some 
hills  but  no  steep  ones.  The  valleys  are  in  places  broad  and  very 
fertile.    The  Little  Kanawha  river  is  improved  with  locks  and 


252 


Wirt  County. 


dams  owned  by  a  navigation  company,  and  daily  packets  ply  the 
river  from  the  Ohio  to  a  point  in  Calhoun  county,  and  have  occa- 
sionally been  able  to  reach  Glenville  in  Gilmer  county.  From 
Elizabeth,  the  county  seat,  to  Parkersburg,  where  there  is  railroad 
connection,  it  is  26  miles  by  river.  From  Elizabeth  to  Wheeling  is 
120  iniles,  to  Charleston  159,  to  Martinsburg  310,  to  Baltimore  324, 
to  Cincinnati  221,  and  to  Chicago  526  miles.  There  is  no  railroad 
in  the  county,  but  the  Little  Kanawha  Valley  railroad  is  projected 
to  run  from  Parkersburg  up  the  Little  Kanawha.  The  towns  along 
the  entire  length  of  this  river  are  connected  by  telephone. 

Coal.— Only  small  veins  of  coal  are  found  above  water  level  in 
Wirt  county.  From  18  to  30  inches  is  their  thickness,  and  they  are 
too  small  to  make  it  profitable  to  work  them  Below  the  surface 
there  is  an  abundance  of  excellent  coal  of  the  Lower  measures.  In 
boring  for  oil  veins  of  from  8  to  10  feet  in  thickness  have  been  found 
at  a  depth  ot  from  60  to  100  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
These  veins  are  supposed  to  underlie  the  entire  county,  audit  would 
be  an  easy  matter  to  construct  a  shaft  by  means  of  which  this  coal 
might  be  readily  mined.  The  quantity  of  coal  contained  in  these 
hidden  veins  is  almost  inestimable,  but  it  is  beyond  question  that 
there  is  to  be  found  beneath  the  surface  of  Wirt  millions  of  tons  of 
it,  and  the  day  will  come  when  the  out-put  of  coal  irom  Wirt 
county  will  equal  that  of  any  other  county  in  the  State. 

Iron. — Iron  ores  may  be  found  in  almost  every  part  of  Wirt 
county,  and  in  veins  from  7  to  11  feet  in  thickness.  Analyses  made 
of  specimens  selected  at  random  from  this  county  show  them  to 
contain  from  50  to  64  per  cent,  of  metallic  iron.  Railroad  trans- 
portation would  afford  an  opportunity  to  test  this  iron  in  a  practi- 
cal way. 

Oil. — Wirt  county  was  the  scene  of  the  earliest  oil  excitement  in 
the  State.  Away  back  in  1861  Burning  Springs  was  quite  a  town. 
Many  of  the  now  prominent  people  of  the  State  were  among  those 
who  made  money  then  in  oil,  and  Senator  Camden,  owner  of  so 
many  West  Virginia  railroads,  forests  and  coal  fields,  is  said  to  have 
gotten  his  start  on  the  road  to  fortune  in  this  place  in  the  days  of 
the  first  oil  excitement.  There  were  no  two  and  three  thousand 
foot  wells  then;  oil  was  found  at  96  to  300  feet  and  in  a  short  time 
the  whole  territory  was  punctured  like  a  pepper  box.    On  800  acres 


Wirt  County. 


253 


at  Burning  Springs  there  were  at  one  time  300  wells.  Then  came 
the  war,  and  in  1863  the  Confederate  General  Jones  set  fire  to  the 
place  and  the  entire  field  was  swept  by  fire.  In  1865  the  excite- 
ment broke  out  anew,  but  it  was  not  long  till  the  oil  gave  out. 
There  were  no  modern  methods  in  vogue,  the  wells  were  not  cased 
and  when  bored  deep  enough  the  water  came  in  and  they  were 
''drowned  out."  But  few  remain  productive  and  the  town,  consist- 
ing of  half  a  dozen  dilapidated  houses,  a  few  leaky  gas  pipes  and 
scores  of  piles  of  old  rusty  machinery  with  an  occasional  walking 
beam,  is  now  about  as  dead  as  it  can  be.  A  well  bored  recently  to 
a  depth  of  about  2,000  feet  shows  up  well  and  promises  to  be  pro- 
ductive of  much  oil.  While  some  made  their  fortunes  in  oil,  many 
lost  and  the  entire  value  of  all  the  oil  taken  out  never  equalled  the 
amount  of  money  sunk  in  the  oil  field.  This  early  product  was  a 
magnificent  oil,  and  brought  from  $5  to  $8  per  barrel,  always  com- 
manding a  little  higher  price  than  any  other  on  the  market.  Re- 
fined oil  and  other  products  consumed  90  per  cent,  of  the  oil  so 
that  in  the  crude  oil  there  was  a  waste  of  not  over  10  per  cent.  In 
the  early  days  the  oil  was  barreled,  the  barrels  rafted  like  logs  and 
great  rafts  of  oil  were  floated  down  to  Parkersburg.  Other  fields 
have  taken  the  place  of  this  one  now,  but  some  oil  is  still  produced 
and  the  deep  wells  will  probably  yield  considerable  oil  when  the 
field  is  tapped  with  them. 

Timber. — Wirt  has  been  pretty  well  stripped  of  its  timber,  very 
little  of  which  remains,  probably  not  over  a  tenth  of  the  original 
amount.  The  county  was  once  covered  with  splendid  timber  but 
its  proximity  to  the  Ohio  river  and  railroads  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Little  Kanawha  and  the  numerous  streams  through  the  county  afford- 
ing transportation  for  timber,  have  caused  about  all  the  timber  there 
ever  was  to  be  taken  out  early,  and  while  the  Little  Kanawha  is 
filled  with  timber  rafts  most  of  the  time,  they  come  from  the  coun- 
ties above  and  are  cut  into  lumber  in  Wirt  county  or  in  Wood  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river. 

Stone  and  Clay.—  Limestone  is  found  in  the  county  and  a  good 
sandstone  for  building  purposes.    A  sandstone  which  is  utilized 
for  whetstones  and  grindstone  purposes  is  also  found  in  the  county 
but  its  use  has  been  quite  limited. 


254 


Wirt  County. 


Fire  and  potter's  clays  are  found  in  considerable  quantities  but 
have  never  been  developed. 

Agricultdral. — Wirt  county  is  composed  mainly  of  excellent 
agricultural  lands  and  but  for  the  fact  that  the  soil  has  been  neglect- 
ed and  timber  and  oil  operations  carried  on  instead  of  farming,  it 
would  now  rank  higher  than  it  does  in  agriculture.  The  soil  is 
rich,  tne  hills  slope  gently,  the  valleys  are  broad  and  crops  produce 
well.  Corn  and  the  other  cereals  and  tobacco  are  well  adapted  to 
the  soil  and  yield  well  The  county  is  an  excellent  one  for  grazing. 
Blue  grass  grows  luxuriantly  and  spontaneously  on  many  mountain 
sides  and  sheep  and  cattle  are  easily  raised.  Considerable  attention 
is  given  to  sheep  and  they  do  exceedingly  well.  Cattle  and  live 
stock  are  raised  cheaply,  living  the  greater  part  of  the  year  on  open 
pastures,  and  are  close  to  railroads  and  thus  near  market.  Particu- 
larly is  Wirt  a  fine  fruit  county  and  some  magnificent  specimens 
are  seen.  Luscious  blackberries  and  raspberries  of  excellent  size 
and  flavor  grow  wild  along  the  road  sides  and  apples,  peaches  and 
other  fruits  grow  to  enormous  size.  On  "Limestone  Hill,"  in  the 
western  part  of  the  county,  especially  fine  fruits  are  grown  and  the 
culture  of  orchards  produces  a  considerable  revenue  to  the  people  of 
the  county  every  year. 

WOOD  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — Northwest  from  the  center  of  the 
State,  bordering  on  the  Ohio  river  and  about  midway  between  the 
northern  and  western  extremities  of  the  State  is  the  county  of 
Wood.  Along  its  entire  western  border  flows  the  Ohio  river,  while 
through  the  center  of  the  county  in  a  northwest  direction  flows  the 
Little  Kanawha  river,  emptying  its  waters  into  the  Ohio  at  Par- 
kersburg,  the  county  seat.  Both  are  navigable  the  entire  year  for 
steamboats.  Following  the  Ohio  river  the  entire  length  of  the 
county  is  the  Ohio  River  railroad,  which  follows  the  entire  western 
border  of  the  State  connecting  Wheeling  with  Huntington.  The 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad  also  passes  through  the  county,  giving 
direct  communication  with  the  east  and  the  west.  Parkersburg  is 
98  miles  from  Wheeling,  121  miles  from  Huntingjton,  135  from 
Charleston,  398  from  Baltimore,  195  from  Cincinnati,  and  500  from 
Chicago.    The  county  contains  much  of  the  fine  Ohio  river  bot- 


Wood  County. 


255 


torn  lands,  the  rest  of  the  county  being  rolling  and  hilly.  In  the 
southern  portion  of  the  county  the  land  reaches  a  greater  height 
than  anywhere  else  but  is  even  there  not  mountainous.  The  cli- 
mate is  mild  and  healthful,  the  soil  productive,  the  transportation 
facilities  good. 

Coal. — At  Volcano,  near  the  Ritchie  county  line,  coal  is  mined 
for  local  use  from  a  small  vein  under  three  feet  in  thickness.  This 
is  the  only  place  in  the  county  where  any  coal  is  found  above  the 
water  level  but  beneath  the  surface  the  entire  county  is  underlaid 
with  good  coal.  At  Parkersburg  borings  for  oil  showed  a  seven 
foot  vein  at  a  depth  of  1,100  feet  below  the  surface.  East  of  the 
river  the  coal  is  not  so  deep  and  might  be  easily  shafted  for  and 
mined. 

Oil. — In  and  near  Wood  county  was  found  the  first  oil  ever  pro- 
duced in  West  Virginia  and  large  quantities  have  been  produced 
from  this  county.  The  Volcano  field  is  the  principal  one  and  pro- 
duces a  fine  quality  of  lubricating  oil.  It  is  a  natural  lubricating 
oil,  very  fine  and  requires  no  mixing  or  refining.  While  the  field 
is  small  the  value  of  the  oil  is  so  great  as  to  make  the  field  a  valu- 
able one.  Vast  quantities  of  the  oil  have  been  produced  and  it  is 
still  being  produced  from  wells  about  600  feet  deep.  Deeper  wells 
have  been  sunk  in  the  county  but  no  other  oil  has  yet  been  found, 
although  the  county  is  almost  entirely  surrounded  by  oil  producing 
territory.  Parkersburg  has  always  been  an  oil  market  since  the 
first  discovery  of  petroleum  and  a  large  refinery  has  been  in  opera- 
tion for  many  years. 

Clay. — Fire  clay  of  excellent  quality  is  found  in  large  deposits, 
particularly  in  the  oil  region.  The  clay  is  very  fine  and  it  would 
pay  well  to  work  it  except  for  the  competition  of  towns  along  the 
river  which  have  the  advantage  of  cheap  transportation  and  near- 
ness to  market.  At  Parkersburg  a  pottery  has  been  in  operation  for 
years,  using  the  fine  potter's  clay  found  in  the  vicinity  and  making 
as  fine  pottery  ware  as  is  made  in  the  country.  All  that  .  is  made 
meets  with  a  ready  market  and  several  times  as  much  as  is  made 
might  easily  be  made  and  disposed  of  at  a  good  price.  The  business 
seems  to  be  profitable  and  with  plenty  of  the  finest  kind  of  clay  and 
advantages  for  shipping  there  is  no  reason  why  the  river  valley  por- 
tion of  the  county  should  not  become  a  large  clay  working  center. 


256 


Wood  County. 


Stone. — Just  across  the  Ohio  river  from  a  portion  of  Wood  county  is 
the  largest  establishment  for  makiag  grindstones  in  the  United  States 
and  the  same  ledge  of  stone  from  which  they  are  made  extends  into 
Wood  county  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  The  stone  has  a  na- 
tional reputation  and  car  loads  of  the  stones  are  shipped  daily.  The 
quarries  on  the  West  Virginia  side  of  the  river  have  been  cpntroUed 
by  lease  by  the  company  which  is  making  the  stones  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river  and  its  development  has  been  prevented  by  thera. 
The  lease  is  said  to  have  expired  and  West  Virginia  will  soon  take 
a  proper  rank  in  the  production  of  grindstones  for  the  use  of  the 
nation.    It  is  a  fine  stone  and  there  is  a  good  deal  of  it. 

Timber. — With  the  timber  of  the  county  easy  of  access  and  two 
rivers  flowing  through  the  county  the  timber  has  been  pretty  well 
taken  out.  Perhaps  a  half  of  the  county  is  still  in  timber,  most  of 
which  is  oak,  poplar  and  similar  kinds  of  wood.  The  bottom 
lands  and  all  the  best  farming  country  has  been  cleared  but  some 
of  the  higher  lands  are  still  in  timber. 

Agricultural. — There  is  some  very  fine  farming  land  in  Wood 
county.  The  Ohio  river  bottoms,  among  the  most  fertile  lands  in  the 
State,  run  for  thirty-nine  miles  through  the  county,  besides  which  a 
great  deal  of  the  county  is  well  adapted  to  farming  and  grazing. 
Excellent  crops  are  produced,  grains  and  produce  of  all  kinds  yield- 
ing well.  Back  from  the  river  on  the  higher  lands  grass  grows 
abundantly,  a  portion  of  the  soil  being  limestone  soil  and  producing 
a  heavy  growth  of  fine  blue  grass.  Fruits  yield  well  and  large 
orchards  are  kept  in  all  the  higher  parts  of  the  county.  Some  of 
the  fruits,  particularly  the  apples,  are  exceedingly  fine.  Considera- 
ble attention  is  paid  to  grape  culture  and  some  of  the  largest  vine- 
yards to  be  found  in  the  State  are  grown  in  Wood  county.  Stock 
raising  is  largely  engaged  in  and  the  Wood  county  stock  farms  con- 
tain some  excellent  stock.  Horses  are  bred  in  considerable  num- 
bers and  cattle  and  sheep  are  also  largely  raised. 

Parkersburg  is  the  third  city  in  the  State,  with  a  popula- 
tion, as  shown  by  the  census  of  1890,  of  8,408,  which  has  since 
then  considerably  increased.  The  increase  from  1880  to  1890,  was 
27.74  per  cent.  It  is  a  flourishing  city  of  importance  as  a  railroad, 
commercial,  manufacturing  and  shipping  point.  Oil  refineries, 
wood  working  establishments,  foundries,  machine  shops,  etc.,  com- 


Wyoming  County. 


257 


pose  the  manufactories,  while  a  large  part  of  the  State  is  supplied 
with  goods  from  Parkersburg  wholesale  houses.  Both  the  B.  &  0. 
and  the  0.  R.  railroads  have  their  shops  here.  The  city  has  both 
natural  and  manufactured  gas,  electricity,  water  works,  fire  depart- 
ment, good  sewerage,  paved  streets,  street  railway,  handsome  public 
buildings,  stores  and  residences,  four  national  banks,  and  a  great 
deal  of  wealth  is  represented  by  its  citizens. 

WYOMING  COUNTY. 

Location  and  Character. — McDowell  is  the  southernmost  county 
in  the  State  and  Wyoming  lies  immediately  north  of  it.  The 
county  is  rough  and  mountainous  throughout  and  is  bordered  by 
mountain  ranges,  the  Guyandotte  mountains  on  the  north  being 
among  the  highest  in  the  State.  Through  the  centre  of  the  county 
for  its  entire  length  the  Guyandotte  river  flows  westward,  several 
tributaries  uniting  their  waters  with  the  river  in  this  county.  Along 
the  southwestern  border  for  a  short  distance  flows  the  Tug  Fork  of 
Big  Sandy.  Along  the  banks  of  the  Tug  is  the  Norfolk  and  West- 
ern railroad,  which  touches  the  edge  of  the  county  for  a  short  dis- 
tance. Oceana,  the  county  seat,  is  on  the  Clear  Fork  of  Guyandotte 
river  some  15  miles  from  the  N.  &  W.  railroad.  Before  the  con- 
struction of  this  road  the  nearest  railroad  was  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio,  52  miles  from  Oceana,  from  which  all  the  supplies  for  the 
county  were  hauled  over  the  mountains.  By  the  N.  &  W.  the  dis- 
tance to  Huntington  is  184  miles,  to  Cincinnati  345,  to  Norfolk  416, 
to  Wheeling  399,  to  Chicago  650  miles.  By  the  C.  &  0.  the  distance 
to  Charleston  is  126  miles. 

Coal. — Wyoming  is  one  of  the  most  highly  favored^  counties  in 
the  State  in  coal.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  is  the  Flat 
Top  coal,  which  dips  under  the  earth  and  theXanawha  coals  appear 
above  it  further  toward  the  west.  Over  the  central  and  western 
parts  of  the  county  ten  veins  of  coal  extend,  some  of  them  5  and  6 
feet  and  one  is  reported  14  feet  in  thickness.  Every  kind  is  found 
— cannel,  coking,  splint  and  steam.  In  fact  every  kind  of  coal 
found  in  the  United  States  is  found  here  except  anthracite.  No 
coal  has  ever  been  shipped.  All  that  has  been  mined  was  for  do- 
mestic use  and  very  little  has  been  consumed  in  that  way.  It  is 
-aid  that  there  is  not  a  spot  in  the  county  a  mile  from  a  coal  vein, 


258  Wyoming  County. 

and  every  resident  of  the  county  may  have  his  own  coal  veiij 
every  land  owner  his  fuel  for  the  digging  More  than  that — if  hi 
doesn't  like  one  kind  of  coal  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  open  anothej 
vein  and  try  a  different  kind.  The  proposed  branch  of  the  N.  &  W\ 
railroad  up  Twelve  Pole  and  Guyandotte  rivers  would  penetrate] 
the  finest  of  the  Wyoming  coal  fields  from  end  to  end,  as  won] 
also  the  proposed  railroad  up  Coal  river  from  its  mouth  near  Charles- 1 
ton  to  a  connection  with  the  N.  &  W.  This  latter  road  could  be 
constructed  on  an  easy  grade  along  the  Big  and  Little  Coal  rivers  to 
the  Walnut  Gap  mountain  which  separates  Boone  from  Wyoming 
and  could  be  built  under  this  mountain  through  an  11  foot  coal 
vein  and  the  coal  taken  out  would  pay  for  the  tunnel.  The  coal 
vein  is  at  water  level  on  both  sides  of  the  mountain  and  the  tun- 
nel need  not  be  over  a  mile  or  two  long.  Throughout  Wyoming 
county,  as  in  Boone  and  Logan,  coal  may  be  found  along  the  road- 
sides almost  anywhere.  With  some  50  or  more  feet  of  coal  in 
every  mountain,  not  a  bushel  of  which  has  ever  been  taken  out  of 
the  county,  and  almost  every  variety  to  select  from,  the  enormous 
value  of  these  immense  deposits  can  scarcely  be  appreciated. 

'Stone. — Excellent  sandstone  for  building  purposes  is  found  in 
this  county  in  great  abundance. 

Timber.  It  is  only  within  the  last  three  years  that  any  timber 
at  all  has  been  taken  out  of  Wyoming  county  and  even  now  there 
are  from  five-sixths  to  seven  eighths  of  the  county  in  the  original 
forests.  No  timber  in  the  State  surpasses  in  excellence  that  of  Wyo- 
ming county.  A  recent  sale  comprised  all  the  timber  on  50,000 
acres,  on  which  there  were  estimated  to  be  100,000  poplar  trees  above 
22  inches  in^diameter  and  which  would  average  3  logs  to  the  tree. 
Two  good  poplar  trees  to  the  acre  is  a  good  average.  Estimates  on 
oak  give  from  to  6  trees  to  the  acre  besides  the  poplar  and  other 
varieties.  The  poplar  logs  will  average  from  4  to  5  feet  in  diame- 
ter. Walnut  averages  about  the  same  though  some  trees  grow  to 
enormous  size.  Most  of  the  walnut  has  disappeared,  though  in 
some  part«^,  notably  the  western  part,  there  is  much  of  it  left. 
Hickory,  chestnut  and  other  kinds  of  timber  grow  profusely  and 
to  enormous  sizes.  One  enterprising  firm,  knowing  the  value  of 
the  timber  of  Wyoming,  has  quietly  purchased  a  large  amount  of  it 
and  has  begun  a  wholesale  destruction  of  the  forests,  but  it  will 


Wyoming  County. 


259 


take  years  to  cut  them  down  and  there  is  still  much  valuable  tim- 
ber available  in  the  county. 

Agricultural. — Unbroken  as  is  the  original  forest,  little  opportu- 
nity has  been  offered  for  farming.  The  western  part  of  the  county 
is  very  rough  and  broken  but  there  are  portions  that  are  suitable 
for  cultivation.  The  valleys  are  productive  and  much  of  the  land 
is  rolling  rather  than  mountainous.  Corn  is  the  principal  crop 
grown,  although  the  soil  is  adapted  in  places  to  tobacco.  Cleared 
of  the  timber  the  hills  would  make  good  grazing  lands,  for  grass 
grows  well.  Cattle  and  sheep  are  raised  with  little  trouble  and 
might  be  grown  in  greater  abundance.  Fruits  would  do  well, 
though  few  are  now  raised. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 

■iiiili 

JAN  18  ICC  } 


